Football

Liverpool blip now becomes something deeper

The sight of the downcast and dejected Mohamed Salah trudging off as Liverpool desperately chased an equaliser against Manchester United was an ominous symbol of their current struggles.

If there was one player in recent Anfield history who would be backed to conjure up a match-saving moment of magic it is ‘The Egyptian King’, the spearhead of all Liverpool’s recent successes.

And yet there was Salah, replaced by Jeremie Frimpong moments after Harry Maguire had headed what proved to be Manchester United’s 84th-minute winner in a 2-1 triumph, their first at Anfield for more than a decade.

It inflicted Liverpool’s fourth successive loss, their worst sequence of results since 2014 under Brendan Rodgers, as what was portrayed as a blip now becomes something deeper when placed alongside the previous sky-high standards set under head coach Arne Slot in his triumphant first title-winning season.

“If you lose four times in a row, you need to be concerned,” Slot told Match of the Day. “We know how it works in football.

“If we keep bringing in these performances we will have a fair chance of winning more football games. Losing four times in a row definitely does something with the team.”

If they lose for the fifth time in a row to Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Wednesday, it would be the first time Liverpool have suffered this fate since September 1953.

Liverpool even felt the frustrations of their own supporters on occasions, when build-up was ponderous and they looked short of ideas to penetrate United’s unyielding defence.

There were moments of ill-luck against United, Cody Gakpo striking the woodwork three times before equalising in the 78th minute.

Salah slashed unconvincingly at a golden opportunity, underlining the 33-year-old’s current lack of form and confidence, extending his run without scoring a non-penalty goal to seven games.

Doubting world-class players is always a dangerous occupation, but Salah has looked out of sorts this season, left out of the Champions League defeat by Galatasaray in Istanbul, then being substituted here with Liverpool trying to rescue a point.

Liverpool are currently a shadow of the efficient machine that strolled the Premier League last season, having looked vulnerable since day one this season in a Community Shield defeat by Crystal Palace at Wembley.

They are riddled with flaws, remarkable given the fact Slot was handed almost £450m to strengthen the newly-crowned champions.

And amid all the understanding that even stellar names signed in record-breaking deals such as £116m for Florian Wirtz and £125m for Alexander Isak require a settling-in period, the bottom line is that neither have produced anything near enough.

Isak was anonymous again, having been chosen ahead of the much livelier Hugo Ekitike, while Wirtz once again had to be content with coming off the bench.

Their proven quality will make Liverpool optimistic their massive outlay will be rewarded, but their contribution so far, at a combined cost of £241m, has not stretched far beyond non-existent.

“Arne Slot has a couple of decisions to make,” former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock told 5 Live.

“Szobozslai looks like the better right-back and suits going into midfield from that position, but does he like being there? No, but for the good of the team it would work better.

“Then Frimpong comes on down the right and has more of an influence in 10 minutes or so than Salah in most of the game. He put two exceptional balls into the box, and Gakpo should have scored from one of them. Ekitike did more when he came on up top than Isak did too.”

For a team that carried an air of calm laced with deadly threat last season, Liverpool now give off an air of chaos and a lack of organisation, especially in their defensive work.

Milos Kerkez struggled badly again, almost scoring an unwitting own goal with a rebound off his face in the second half, which would have summed up Liverpool’s defending.

The debate will continue about whether referee Michael Oliver should have stopped play when Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister lay prone nursing a head injury, inflicted accidentally by captain Virgil van Dijk’s elbow.

Instead, the game continued, Bryam Mbeumo taking advantage of Van Dijk reacting slowly to recover his position, finishing smartly past Liverpool’s deputy keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili.

The lack of organisation is reflected in the statistic that Liverpool have conceded five goals resulting from set pieces in eight Premier League games this season. They did not concede any goals in that manner in the same number of matches at the start of last season.

Liverpool are open to counter-attacks at pace, while balls played in behind have presented problems all season.

It all adds up to the position Liverpool find themselves in, dropping to fourth in the table, four points behind leaders Arsenal.

Liverpool have too much quality to stay in the slump for long, but Slot has problems to solve, needing to get those misfiring superstars up and running while curing the problems that have been exposed this season.

“It’s an interesting time now, we have to stick together,” captain Van Dijk said after the game.

“We need to stay humble and stay working. When things get tough, it is important we keep the mentality of being there for each other. It is a long season.”

Football

Turkish football club distributes Iftar meals in Gaza

Turkish football club MKE Ankaragücü organized iftar distributions in Gaza, delivering meals to 1,500 children as part of its Ramadan campaign to support those in need.

MKE Ankaragucu, a Turkish football club which is currently playing in the TFF 2. Lig, has organized iftar distributions in Gaza as part of its ongoing campaign to help people in need in the Palestinian enclave.

In an official statement on its social media channels, MKE Ankaragucu reiterated its commitment to reminding children facing hardship in Palestine and elsewhere that they are not forgotten during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, while calling for greater support and participation.

The announcement included video footage documenting the distribution of iftar packages to 1,500 children in Gaza.

Turkish football clubs have shown widespread tribune solidarity during matches, with fans displaying banners, Palestinian flags, and messages of support.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced that the Gaza ceasefire has more than doubled monthly food aid compared to before the truce, with coordinated efforts continuing under improved access as of late February 2026.

Amid harsh winter and displacement, one million people are receiving full assistance packages that include food parcels, hot Ramadan iftar meals, fresh bread, and cash transfers.

A News

Football

Will Cristiano Ronaldo reach 1,000 goals at 2026 FIFA World Cup?

Cristiano Ronaldo netted a brace as Al Nassr swept Al Hazem 4-0, a result that sent the Saudi club to the top of the Pro League table. The performance also pushed the 41-year-old’s personal tally to 964 career goals — just 36 away from the iconic 1,000-goal mark.

That night also brought another historic moment as Ronaldo became the first player in history to score 500 goals after the age of 30. To appreciate just how extraordinary that is, fewer than 30 players across the entire history of professional football have scored 500 goals in their careers.

Naturally, the question on everyone’s lips is when will the Portuguese superstar reach the four figures. And the most romantic possibility would be at this summer’s World Cup, hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. For Ronaldo, the tournament carries extra weight. By stepping onto the pitch, he will become the first player ever to appear in six World Cups, a milestone he’ll share with Argentine star Lionel Messi, though Ronaldo was already a centrepiece of Portugal’s 2006 campaign while Messi was still finding his feet at the senior level.

The prospect of goal No 1,000 arriving on the World Cup stage is the stuff of footballing fairy tales — and Ronaldo himself has acknowledged it during a recent interview. “You’ve been watching too many movies — that would be way too perfect,” he said, before adding: “Goals are always good to score. I want to play in this next World Cup; otherwise, I wouldn’t be here. But one step at a time. If those numbers did come true, I’d end my career on a high.”

From a practical standpoint, the math makes the World Cup milestone difficult. Between now and the tournament, Al Nassr are expected to play roughly 20 official matches, excluding friendlies and potential squad rotation. If Portugal make a deep run, Ronaldo could feature in up to seven or eight World Cup matches — giving him approximately 25 to 30 games before and during the tournament, assuming no injuries.

Impressive form

To reach 1,000 goals before or during the World Cup, Ronaldo would need to average at least one goal per game — possibly more. That requirement exceeds his current scoring rate of roughly 0.74 goals per match, according to ESPN stats.

His recent form is impressive but it also tempers expectations. Across his last 20 matches, he has scored 15 goals, but that doesn’t match the kind of explosive run required to close a 36-goal gap in such a short span.

Historically, Ronaldo has scored just eight goals across five World Cup tournaments, which further highlights the challenge. For the milestone to happen on football’s biggest stage, he would need an extraordinary run of form.

A more realistic projection lies in his typical yearly output. Ronaldo has averaged around 40 goals per calendar year throughout his career. Based on that trend, the most logical window for goal No. 1,000 appears to be late 2026 or early 2027 — rather than at the World Cup itself.

Football

Cristiano Ronaldo wishes fans ‘Ramadan Kareem’

Football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo wished his fans Ramadan Kareem on Tuesday.

The UAE confirmed the official start date of Ramadan will begin on February 18.

Recently, Ronaldo marked his first match since turning 41 in the best possible way, scoring in Al Nassr’s 2-0 win over Al Fateh on Saturday at the Prince Abdullah Bin Jalawi Stadium.

The victory keeps Al Nassr firmly in the Saudi Pro League title race. They are now just one point behind leaders Al Hilal after game week 21.

Making his return to the starting eleven after missing three matches amid a dispute with club management, Ronaldo wasted little time reminding everyone of his value.

In the 18th minute, Sadio Mane delivered a sharp cross into the box and Ronaldo met it first time, guiding the ball into the bottom right corner. It was a calm and clinical finish, the kind that has defined his career for more than two decades.

Al Nassr controlled most of the game after taking the lead. They sealed the win in the 78th minute when Ayman Yahya struck a fine second goal to secure all three points for the visitors.

Al Nassr will aim to extend their winning streak when they face Al Hazem on February 21. With Ronaldo back among the goals and fully focused on football again, the Riyadh giants remain the biggest challenge to Al Hilal in the race for the Saudi Pro League crown.