Liverpool

Estevao struck in added time for Chelsea to inflict a third straight defeat on Premier League champion Liverpool.

The Brazilian slid in at the far post to seal a 2-1 win for the Blues that sparked wild celebrations after a thrilling clash at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

The teenager’s first goal since his move from Palmeiras ensured Liverpool goes into the international break having been knocked off the top of the standings.

Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo had given his side a half-time lead following a fierce drive from outside the box, but Cody Gapko levelled.

“Last season, we lost against Chelsea as well. Stamford Bridge is always difficult [to play at]. We were very close to a result. [It’s all about] Small margins,” Liverpool manager Arne Slot said.

The Dutchman also went on to reflect on the defeats at Galatasaray in the Champions League on Tuesday and at Crystal Palace last weekend.

“As I said at Galatasaray, we had a one-vs-one, then they get a penalty,” he said. “We conceded in extra, extra time against Palace. And then today, they score a goal that could go at either end.”

Arsenal claimed first place, a point ahead of Liverpool, after beating West Ham 2-0 earlier in the day.

Manchester United also secured a crucial victory as they won against Sunderland 2-0.

Relief for Manchester United manager Amorim

Ruben Amorim rang the changes and the Manchester United manager got the result he desperately needed.

United’s win may quieten the mounting speculation over Amorim’s position, even if only temporarily. He has still to lead United to back-to-back victories in the league after almost a year in charge, but this was a step in the right direction.

“Of course, it’s really important to win games and have a better feeling, but we need to forget this game and go for the next one,” he said.

Amorim showed his ruthless side by dropping $84m summer signing Matheus Cunha and handing a first start to new goalkeeper Senne Lammens in a game that was seen as another potential stumbling block after losing three of their opening six league matches.

Those decisions paid off with first-half goals from Mason Mount and Benjamin Sesko at Old Trafford and a first clean sheet of the season.

This was only Amorim’s 10th win from 34 league games and going into Saturday’s match, he accepted it would be “impossible” to continue in the job if results did not turn.

Which is why victory against Sunderland was crucial in a week when he was criticised by United greats Wayne Rooney and Gary Neville, and before the international break, which has traditionally been a convenient time to make managerial changes.

“There’s always a lot of pressure, especially in a club like this, but we always try to take it in a positive way,” said Sesko, who scored for the second game running after his move from RB Leipzig worth up to $99m. “We did it, and we showed once again that we can play well, that we can win games.”

Arsenal on a roll

That is four wins in row for Arsenal.

Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka, from the penalty spot, inflicted a first defeat on new West Ham coach Nuno Espirito Santo in Arteta’s 300th game in charge.

“I wanted to celebrate it with a win, I’ve got it,” Arteta said.

After a daunting start to the campaign, Arsenal was back in the title hunt following three seasons as runner-up.

Saka, who scored on his 200th appearance for the club, is convinced Arteta will deliver trophies.

“We’ve had some tough games, particularly away. We are in a strong place in the Premier League and looking forward to coming back and pushing on,” he told the BBC. “Mikel has very much improved my game. I am very grateful to have him as my coach. He will bring this club success and [I’m] looking forward to when that day comes.”

But victory came at a cost after another injury to captain Martin Odegaard.

Kudus gets off the mark for Tottenham

Mohammed Kudus scored his first Tottenham goal to keep Thomas Frank’s team riding high.

Kudus’ second-half strike from the edge of the box secured a 2-1 win at Leeds to move Spurs up to third.

Spurs were unbeaten in their last seven games in all competitions and have lost just once in the league under Frank, who took charge during the off-season.

Kudus was one of Frank’s big signings in the offseason — joining from West Ham — and the forward produced the decisive moment at Elland Road, where he cut in from the right and fired low past Karl Darlow in the 57th minute.

Spurs led through Mathys Tel, whose deflected shot rocketed into the top corner.

Leeds, which was unbeaten at home since February, equalised through Noah Okafor from close range in the 34th.

Senior officials at Chelsea have been expressing excitement about Estevao’s arrival since they agreed his signature more than a year before his eventual move to England.

Fittingly, Estevao scored a brilliant goal from a tight angle against Chelsea in a losing cause on his final appearance for Palmeiras this summer.

He left the Sao Paulo-based club with 27 goals and 15 assists in 83 games.

After that match, he was seen mingling with his future team-mates, including England playmaker Palmer, in what appeared to be a moment of respect between peers.

That game was perhaps an English audience’s first glimpse of Estevao, but Brazilian football experts have long tipped him for the top.

He was the first player under 18 to have 20 goal involvements in a single season in Brazil’s Serie A (12 goals and eight assists), breaking a record set by Neymar.

In the Club World Cup, he won ‘superior player of the match’ twice and, perhaps fittingly, impressed against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, having earned the nickname Messinho – ‘Little Messi’ – in Brazil.

It felt like a coup from Chelsea to beat some of Europe’s leading clubs, including Paris St-Germain, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich, to Estevao’s signature.

He chose Chelsea due to his belief in their vision and the promise of a significant role in his first season, with his sights set on playing for Brazil at the 2026 World Cup.

Estevao consulted former Chelsea defender Thiago Silva before choosing Chelsea in 2024.

The Blues had planned to ease him in slowly, but Palmer’s injury and Estevao’s brilliance have led him to feature in every match – except the draw with Brentford which he missed because of illness.

Palmer hopes to return from a recurring groin problem after the international break.

But even in the star attacker’s absence, Estevao appears ready to deliver more big moments for Chelsea.

Chelsea and Liverpool meet at Stamford Bridge on Saturday with the Reds hoping to bounce back from consecutive defeats.

In April 2014 the pair played out a huge match in the title race, which included a certain Liverpool captain’s slip on the way to a 2-0 Chelsea win.

That’s the match we’ve chosen for this week’s Saturday starting line-ups quiz.

How many players can you name? You have seven minutes. Good luck!

Welsh netball’s leading women’s team will lose ‘Cardiff’ from their title for the 2026 Netball Super League (NSL) season and host games in Liverpool as well as the Welsh capital.

Previously known as LexisNexis Cardiff Dragons, the city name has been removed and they are now LexisNexis Dragons and will play home games at Cardiff’s House of Sport and Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena.

Dragons named their squad in early September despite financial uncertainty.

The Welsh side finished bottom of the revamped NSL last season – winning only two of their 14 matches – and there have been question marks about the franchise’s finances.

BBC Sport Wales had been told that players were informed in the off-season that they may not have had a team to play for this coming campaign if Dragons did not secure the required funding.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot says goalkeeper Alisson will miss the game against Chelsea on Saturday after the Brazilian was injured against Galatasaray.

The 32-year-old had to be replaced by Giorgi Mamardashvili in the 56th minute of the 1-0 Champions League defeat in Istanbul.

Alisson limped off after saving from goalscorer Victor Osimhen, while striker Hugo Ekitike then pulled up after stretching for the ball and also had to be replaced.

Slot said the Brazil international had felt something when “sprinting back”.

“If my player is on the floor, nine out of 10 times I fear the worst and with the worst I mean that he cannot continue,” Slot said.

“It’s never positive if you go off like this. You can be sure he is not playing Saturday.”

Mamardashvili is in line for a Premier League debut at Stamford Bridge. The Georgian was signed from Valencia in the summer for £29m.

Alisson missed 10 Premier League games last season with a hamstring injury.

There is also a doubt over Ekitike, who limped off during the second half.

“I wasn’t really thinking that we had an injury, but Hugo felt something,” Slot added.

“He said he couldn’t continue, so we had to take him off. Let’s see how he is for the weekend.”

“I don’t see where Wirtz gets into the team,” ex-England captain Wayne Rooney said on The Wayne Rooney Show. “I think it was a lot of money. I think Wirtz actually damages the balance of Liverpool and how they play.

“He’s a top player and I’m sure he will get better – but he’s had a slow start and I think there’s no denying that.”

Wirtz’s current struggles are not down to a shortage of endeavour. He attempted more dribbles or shots on goal than anyone else for Liverpool in Istanbul. He will hope his hard work is rewarded soon.

Liverpool statistics also back up the theory they are now easier to get at, needing late goals against Bournemouth, Newcastle , Arsenal, Burnley, Atletico Madrid in the Champions League and Southampton in the Carabao Cup. They also conceded two-goal leads against Bournemouth, Newcastle and Atletico.

And, again, you can compare the start of this season to the beginning of last – they have had only two clean sheets in 10 games this season having kept six in their first 10 last season.

“Right now they’re not there yet,” said ex-Liverpool forward Daniel Sturridge on Amazon Prime. “When you look at the way they’re playing right now they’re not the same team as last year. You can see the chemistry is not right at this present moment in this time – but they have plenty of time to get it right. It’s not panic stations.”

Slot, perfectly understandably, delivered measured perspective as he said: “We are not so far off the level shown last season. This is sometimes what the schedule can bring, Galatasaray is not a simple game. We now play Chelsea away, a difficult game.

“The margins are small and they were last season. For the second time in a row we are on the wrong side.

“I saw a lot of things in the first half, but the second half was much less. I don’t think in the second half there was a lot of playing time, their striker was on the floor four or five times. It was difficult to get momentum in the game.”

For all that, however, the sense of calm control and composure that was the hallmark of Liverpool’s title win has been lost – and was missing again the fierce surroundings of Istanbul.

Victor Osimhen scored an early penalty as Galatasaray beat an error-prone Liverpool, who lost goalkeeper Alisson and striker Hugo Ekitike to injury, 1-0 in a raucous Champions League clash in Istanbul.

The masked Nigerian striker blasted the ball past a diving Alisson when he stepped up in the 16th minute of the match on Tuesday, after Baris Alper Yilmaz went down following a swipe in the face by Dominik Szoboszlai.

Liverpool made three changes to the lineup that suffered a first-league defeat of the season by Crystal Palace at the weekend, with Mohamed Salah on the bench along with record signing Alexander Isak.

Both came on in the 62nd minute when Liverpool made a triple substitution, with Salah replacing starter Jeremie Frimpong on the right wing, after Alisson had gone off injured and was replaced by Giorgi Mamardashvili in the 56th.

Ekitike, in the starting lineup on his return from a domestic suspension, went off injured in the 68th on a bruising night for the visitors who had their chances but looked alarmingly vulnerable in defence.

The win was a first in seven years at home in the Champions League for the Turkish side and a notable one against opponents unbeaten in all competitions until last weekend and now dealt two losses in a row.

Galatasaray could have been in front already in the second minute when Yilmaz caught the defence napping and went one on one with Alisson, who stood firm and shut out the danger.

Liverpool then missed a golden chance of their own in the 13th minute when Ekitike miscued the ball after getting into a scoring position and Cody Gakpo had a shot cleared off the line on the rebound.

From almost taking the lead, Liverpool found themselves behind seconds later when Osimhen stepped up and lifted the already volcanic crowd to the point of eruption.

The visitors had the chance to equalise in the 32nd minute, with another Ekitike shot blocked and Ibrahima Konate missing from close range, but continued to look vulnerable and gave away a free kick on the edge of the area on the stroke of half-time.

The second half brought a raft of substitutions but no change on the pitch and Liverpool still looking nervous in defence, with loose passing as Galatasaray worked constantly to keep up the pressure.

Alisson limped off after saving from Osimhen and Ekitike then pulled up after stretching for the ball.

Liverpool sniffed an equaliser in the 88th when referee Clement Turpin pointed to the spot but the decision was overturned by a VAR review deciding that Wilfried Singo had played the ball ahead of Ibrahima Konate.

Galatasaray fans displayed banners protesting the war in Gaza at both ends of the pitch, and there was a tribute to the late Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva before the kickoff.

Liverpool’s coach Arne Slot said he was “disappointed” with the result and claimed Szoboszlai “did nothing wrong” in conceding the penalty.

“[Yilmaz] felt a little flick in his face and he fell down. We are sometimes a bit outsmarted in situations like this,” he told Amazon Prime. “I cannot blame Dom in a situation like this.”

Liverpool captain Virgil Van Dijk said there was no need for his side to panic, but that they needed to cut out the errors.

“I hate losing, but there shouldn’t be panic and there is improvement needed,” he told Amazon Prime.

“There was a big step up tonight from the willingness and the hard work that we put in compared to the weekend.

“Now we have to convert chances and not make stupid mistakes at times. It is a process and we have to keep going.”

Madrid shrugged off any travel weariness in a 5-0 win at Kairat Almaty in Kazakhstan, and Bayern cruised to a 5-1 win at Pafos in Cyprus.

Tottenham Hotspur needed an 89th-minute own goal to salvage a point at Bodo/Glimt as they battled back from two goals down to draw 2-2 on Tuesday in the first Champions League game ever played inside the Arctic Circle.

Atletico Madrid romped to a 5-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt with coach Diego Simeone watching from the stands following his suspension for an altercation with a Liverpool fan in the team’s previous Champions League game.

Jose Mourinho blew a kiss to Chelsea supporters on his return to Stamford Bridge with his Benfica team.

A Benfica player scored, but it was an own goal from Richard Rios that decided the result, a 1-0 win for Chelsea, who had Joao Pedro sent off late.

Marseille beat visiting Ajax 4-0, and Lautaro Martinez scored twice to lead Inter Milan to a 3-0 win at home over Slavia Prague.

ATLETICO MADRID boss Diego Simeone has escaped with a one-match ban for his Anfield Champions League red card.

Argentine Simeone was dismissed in the aftermath of Virgil van Dijk‘s stoppage time winner for Liverpool, when he became embroiled in a row with home fans.

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A huge skirmish boiled over when a member of the Atletico staff was accused of spitting and squirting water at Liverpool fans.

But after studying the referee’s and match delegate’s report and video images, Simeone was handed a single game ban for “unsporting conduct”.

It means the former midfielder has been banished from the dressing room and touchline for tonight’s home game with Eintracht Frankfurt.

No action has been taken against the member of the coaching staff, with Uefa seemingly keen to put the matter to bed, although Liverpool were fined £3,500 for fans throwing objects onto the pitch during the game.

Simeone walked out of his post-match press conference in response to a question over whether the insults he had received had been either racist or referred to the 1982 Falklands War.

Before that, the Argentine claimed he had been subjected to “insults for the whole game”.

He said: “Firstly I regret the part I played.

“It’s clear we are in a position where we do not have the right to react and it is not good when we react.

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“My reaction isn’t justifiable but do you know what it is like to be insulted for 90 minutes?

“I saw the third goal go in and I turned, the insults continued, and well, I’m a person.”

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Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has been given a one-match ban for “unsporting conduct” by Uefa following his clash with Liverpool supporters at Anfield earlier this month.

After Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk scored a 92nd-minute winner in Atletico’s 3-2 defeat, Simeone reacted after he appeared to be goaded by a small number of home fans.

The Argentine complained to the fourth official with a number of stewards positioned between him and the Liverpool supporters.

Simeone had to be dragged away from the scene and continued his protests before he was sent off and walked down the tunnel.

His ban lasts for one competitive Uefa fixture, meaning he will miss his side’s home game against Eintracht Frankfurt on Tuesday (20:00 BST).

Speaking in the news conference after the Liverpool match, the 55-year-old said: “Firstly I regret the part I played. It’s clear we are in a position where we do not have the right to react and it is not good when we react.”

Simone said he “could not remember exactly” what had been, but he took issue with the “insults throughout the whole game” from the home supporters.

“We [managers] are in a position where we are protagonists/standard bearers, so in the same manner that we fight against racism and insults in stadiums today, we could also fight on behalf of the managers, against the insults we receive throughout the whole game.

“It’s not easy to be in the position we are in and receive insults for the whole game. I saw it from far away after the third goal. I saw the third goal go in and I turned, the insults continued, and well, I’m a person.”

Liverpool, meanwhile, have been fined 4,000 euros (£3,492) for the throwing of objects.

A DRUG kingpin arrested while partying at an Ibiza nightclub for a £20million drug ring he ran with his ex-girlfriend has been jailed.

The couple from Merseyside plotted to smuggle over 300 kilos of drugs in two lorries in the summer of 2022.

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Eddie Burton, 23, from Liverpool was jailed for 19 years at Canterbury Crown Court on Friday, September 26.

His glam ex-girlfriend, Sian Banks, 25, was sentenced to five years in February of this year.

Burton had been living in mainland Europe in 2022 when two lorries were intercepted at Dover Port containing heroin, cocaine and ketamine.

The first of those lorries was stopped by Border Force on July 3 and the second was intercepted the following month on August 12.

Overall, officers discovered a whopping 307 kilos with an estimated street value of £20million.

Burton’s fingerprints were found on both the drug packages as well as the modified fuel tank that was used to conceal them.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) launched a huge manhunt for Burton who was living between the Netherlands and Spain after he left the UK in 2021.

Burton was put in cuffs by Spanish police in August 2023 at the Pacha nightclub in Ibiza for unrelated drug dealing offences.

He had been using an alias to avoid being caught at the time but was extradited to Germany and charged with drug offences before he was returned to the UK in March last year.

Following that, Burton pleaded guilty to four counts of importing Class A and B drugs.

According to the MailOnline, Burton was involved in drugs from an early age and started dealing them at 10 years old.

Those who knew him said he was engaging in serious criminal activity while he was still at primary school and weren’t surprised by his life’s trajectory.

Whereas Banks had a love of luxury holidays and high-end goods with a fondness for men with money, according to those who knew her.

She was arrested in December 2023 before she pleaded guilty to seven charges including importing Class A drugs and money laundering earlier this year.

She had visited Burton in the Netherlands and Spain on a monthly basis between June 2022 and October 2023.

Her phone had also revealed that she had twice smuggled cocaine and ketamine into her luggage after visiting Burton in Amsterdam in August 2022.

Messages were also uncovered between the pair two days after the first lorry was intercepted.

They showed that Banks had flown to the Netherlands and helped prepare the first shipment of narcotics.

One of the messages to Burton revealed Banks was concerned her fingerprints were on the bags of ketamine.

He replied: “You’ve never been nicked or had ye prints took anyway so doesn’t matter.”

It was also discovered that banks had sold scam Covid-19 travel documents during the pandemic.

NCA Senior Investigating Officer John Turner said: “Burton, with Banks’ help, attempted to smuggle huge quantities of harmful drugs into the UK, believing he could operate with impunity overseas.

“Banks held a crucial role in the criminal enterprise, laundering the illicit profits and acting as the UK-based facilitator for the multi-million pound drug importations.

“The drugs, had they reached their final destination, would have had a destructive impact on our communities, fuelling violence and exploiting vulnerable people throughout the supply chain.”

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Liverpool defender Giovanni Leoni is out for “about a year” after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament, manager Arne Slot says.

The 18-year-old sustained the injury on his debut against Southampton in the Carabao Cup third round on Tuesday.

Leoni joined the Reds in August from Parma for a fee of £26m plus add-ons.

“He is not in a good place because he tore his ACL which means he will be out around a year,” said Slot.

“Being so young and coming to a new country and playing so well in your first game, it’s very hard to take the positives.

“There is never a positive side but you try to look at that, and that is he is still so young and he has so many years still go to after he recovers from a terrible injury.”

Premier League champions Liverpool will play FA Cup winners Crystal Palace in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.

Holders Newcastle United host Tottenham in another all-Premier League tie while Arsenal, who have not won the competition since 1993, face Brighton.

Grimsby Town, the only League Two side still standing and conquerors of Manchester United, get another home tie against Premier League Brentford.

And with three Welsh sides in the last 16 for the first time, it was perhaps inevitable there would be an all-Welsh clash as Wrexham host Cardiff City, with 2013 winners Swansea handed a tie against Manchester City.

It will be the first meeting between Wrexham and Cardiff since 2002.

LIVERPOOL could follow Chelsea by exploiting a Uefa loophole to add Federico Chiesa to their Champions League squad.

The Italian forward was snubbed from Arne Slot’s initial European group, with many fans describing the decision as “criminal.”

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Chiesa, 27, is a 51-time Italy international and highly popular among Anfield supporters.

But now, the winger could be set to feature in the Champions League after all.

Fellow Italian Giovanni Leoni made his debut in Tuesday’s 2-1 Carabao Cup win over Southampton.

The defender joined Liverpool for £26million from Parma this summer.

But his first appearance ended badly after he was stretchered off with a serious injury.

And due to a new Uefa rule only brought in weeks ago, Liverpool are now allowed to replace Leoni in their continental squad.

It has opened the door for Chiesa to take his place, despite the stars playing in different positions.

Chelsea have already taken advantage of it, with Facundo Buonanotte replacing Dario Essugo.

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While in the Europa League, Nottingham Forest subbed out injured Ola Aina for Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Uefa stunned clubs with a surprise announcement this month, revealing it had agreed an “amendment” to registry regulations.

The governing body announced clubs will be allowed the “temporary” replacement of one outfield player “with a long-term injury or illness.”

Uefa added: “The reasoning for the adaptation is to ensure that squad lists are not unfairly reduced and players are safeguarded from additional workload pressure.”

It remains to be seen whether Slot decides to recall Chiesa though.

Young centre-back Rhys Williams was also left out of Liverpool’s Champions League squad.

And he could get the nod if Slot feels his squad is light on defenders.

On a night when Liverpool celebrated the goalscoring arrival of their record signing Alexander Isak, a moment of madness has proved costly for their other in-form forward.

Hugo Ekitike scored the winner in Tuesday’s 2-1 victory against Southampton to progress to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.

But, caught up in the moment of his 85th-minute goal, striker Ekitike removed his shirt and held it up to the Liverpool fans in celebration.

He most likely knew he would get booked for that and was happy it was a price worth paying, but what he had seemingly forgotten is that he had already been shown a yellow card.

The sending-off means he will be suspended for Saturday’s Premier League game at Crystal Palace – not ideal when the player he is potentially in a battle for a starting spot with is returning to full fitness.

Ekitike went on social media on Tuesday night to apologise, saying: “I was so excited to help the team achieve another victory here in our home for my first Carabao Cup match.

“The emotion got the better of me. My apologies to all the Red family. Thanks to the fans who always support us and to my team-mates for this victory!”

But, speaking just after the game, his manager Arne Slot was left bemused by the incident.

“It is not [stupid] because it was his second [yellow] – it’s stupid even if you haven’t had a yellow card yet,” he said.

“Maybe I’m a bit old-fashioned but I did score a few goals – not at his level but I did – and if I went past three players and put it in the top corner then maybe you can say ‘this is all about me’.

“But if I scored a goal like he did tonight, I would turn to Chiesa and say ‘it’s about you Federico – great assist, great run and I didn’t have to do a lot’. Maybe that’s me being old-school.

“It was stupid, not smart in every sense. The good thing is that his team-mates helped him to get the win over the line, but the thing is he is now suspended for Saturday and that is far from ideal.”

Men’s team manager Arne Slot said Beard “did great things for this football club”.

“I think the Melwood staff and everyone that worked with him liked him so much – and that’s probably even a more important legacy to leave behind than the trophies you win,” he added.

“The person you are is always more important than what you’ve won. But in his situation, both things were combined: so successful as a manager and a great human being.

“It’s not only that he gets all the respect he deserves here at Liverpool but I think all around women’s football.”

Liverpool Women managing director Andy O’Boyle also paid tribute to Beard, saying: “On behalf of everyone at Liverpool Football Club, I’d just like to extend our greatest condolences to Matt’s family; his wife Debbie, his children Harry and Ellie, and his wider family and friends.

“It has been a really sad time for everyone. You have seen how the club and football have come together, and we extend our sympathies to Matt’s family and friends at this time.

“Matt has been an iconic figure in the women’s game. Obviously winning two WSL titles with Liverpool and then also getting promoted from the Championship up to the WSL. You can see over the years the success he has brought to the club.

“Not just the success on the pitch, the success off the pitch as well in terms of the people, the players, the staff, colleagues within the game – you can see how much love and joy he brought to Liverpool, the football club and also to women’s football and wider football.”

Former Liverpool and Burnley manager Matt Beard has died at the age of 47.

Beard led Liverpool to back-to-back Women’s Super League titles in 2013 and 2014.

He returned for a second spell at the club in 2021 but was sacked in February this year.

In a statement, Liverpool paid tribute to “an extremely committed and successful manager”.

They added: “He was also a person of real integrity and warmth, who will always be remembered with genuine fondness by everyone he worked with at the club. Rest in peace, Matt.”

Following his reappointment in 2021, Beard led the Reds to promotion back to the WSL and helped them to a seventh-placed finish on their return to the top flight.

Beard also managed Liverpool during their first ever Champions League campaign.

He was appointed Burnley manager in June but was sacked after just two months in charge.

Beard had previous spells at National Women’s Soccer League side Boston Breakers and West Ham, as well as an interim period in charge of Bristol City.

Ryan Gravenberch’s 10th-minute stunner set Liverpool on their way to a 2-1 win against Everton in the Merseyside derby.

Liverpool stretched their perfect Premier League start to maintain their stranglehold of the Merseyside derby with a 2-1 win over Everton and open up a six-point lead at the top of the table.

Goals from Ryan Gravenberch and Hugo Ekitike were the defending champions’ reward for a dominant first half on Saturday and enough for a fifth consecutive Premier League win.

But Liverpool ran out of steam after the break and were left hanging on after Idrissa Gana Gueye fired Everton back into the contest.

Arne Slot’s men had needed late goals to win all of their previous four Premier League games and Champions League opener against Atletico Madrid in midweek.

This time the Reds did the bulk of their good work inside the first 30 minutes to leave Everton still without a win at Anfield in front of a crowd in the 21st century.

Slot left both his 100 million pounds ($135m) plus signings Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak on the bench, but Liverpool were all the better balanced for the return of Alexis MacAllister alongside Dominik Szoboszlai and the impressive Gravenberch in midfield.

The Dutch midfielder broke the deadlock just nine minutes in with a deft finish on the half-volley from Mohamed Salah’s cross.

Salah came close to a second moments later with a powerfully struck effort on his trusty left foot that flew just wide.

Everton had been on a four-game unbeaten run thanks in large part to the form of the resurgent Jack Grealish.

The Manchester City loanee was unsurprisingly at the heart of their best first-half move with a pass through to Kieran Dewsbury-Hall, who fired wide from a narrow angle.

Liverpool responded in style to a fine team move culminated in Ekitike rolling Gravenberch’s pass through the legs of Jordan Pickford for his third goal in five Premier League games since his move from Eintracht Frankfurt.

But the second half was a completely different story as Liverpool almost saw another two-goal lead disappear after being pegged by Bournemouth, Newcastle and Atletico already this season.

Fatigue this time seemed to play a part with kickoff just more than 60 hours after Virgil van Dijk’s stoppage-time winner against Atletico on Wednesday.

Everton had a lifeline just before the hour mark when Grealish’s deep cross was turned back into the path of Gueye, who blasted his past Alisson Becker.

Slot turned to Wirtz and Isak off the bench to try and wrestle back control to little effect.

Liverpool, though, did manage to see out a nervy finale to inflict an unwanted record on Everton boss David Moyes.

The Scot has now failed to win in 23 trips to Anfield as a visiting coach, the most any Premier League manager has played at a stadium without victory.

Arne Slot has no hair left to lose but the man celebrating his 47th birthday might have been left feeling a few years older as his Liverpool team put him through the wringer again.

In the end, however, Liverpool were able to make it many happy returns for their head coach – but not before another dose of late drama that has characterised their winning start to this season.

The old cliche that 2-0 is the most dangerous lead in football is being given new meaning by Liverpool, who have lost this advantage twice in the Premier League this season – to Bournemouth and Newcastle United – and did so again against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.

On each occasion, however, Liverpool have pulled back from the brink to win.

Such is the sheer force of will in Slot’s side, as well as the power of Anfield on Champions League nights, that there was almost an inevitability about Virgil van Dijk’s towering header deep into stoppage time that enabled Liverpool to open their Champions League with victory.

The Dutchman’s 93rd-minute winner was the fourth goal Liverpool have scored in the 90th minute or later across all competitions this season, with six of their eight second-half goals this season being scored from the 88th minute onwards.

Slot was able to celebrate wildly in his technical area once more, as he has done as Liverpool have won all their games this season in the last 10 minutes and into stoppage time, but even in triumph he must wish that Liverpool would not leave him and their fans knee-deep in chewed fingernails before they can celebrate.

Even Liverpool, for all their attacking prowess, will not be able to perform this trick every time. Their carelessness will be a concern for Slot, even if they have shown five times this season that they have what it takes to pull themselves out of trouble.

“A game like this should not have gone to a late winner,” Slot said.

“I understand that’s the story of this game and the last five games, but for me it is a different game than the ones we played before. We had so many great attacks today where we could have scored the third goal.”