Erling Haaland continued his incredible start to life in the Premier League with a record-setting treble in Manchester City's 6-0 thrashing of Nottingham Forest.

The Norway international made it two hat-tricks in the space of five days – and a perfect one at that, with his right foot, left foot and head – in City's latest statement victory.

Meanwhile, Liverpool left it late to see off Newcastle United 2-1 at Anfield.

There were goals and drama elsewhere on Wednesday, too, and Stats Perform unpacks the pick of the data.

Manchester City 6-0 Nottingham Forest: Haaland makes history

Haaland now has nine goals in five Premier League games since joining City from Borussia Dortmund – the best start of any player in the competition's history at this stage.

He surpassed the record of eight goals previously held by Micky Quinn and City great Sergio Aguero, the man he is effectively replacing at the Etihad Stadium.

The prolific striker is just the seventh player to score a hat-trick in back-to-back games in the competition and the first since Harry Kane did so for Tottenham in December 2017.

Fellow newbie Julian Alvarez also scored twice, while Joao Cancelo netted the other as City bagged five or more goals in a league game for the 32nd time under Pep Guardiola.

That accounts for 14 per cent of City's games under the Catalan coach in the competition, with that tally more than twice as many as any other side over that period (Liverpool, 15).

The only side to have exceeded the 18 goals City have scored after five games of a Premier League season were Manchester United, who had 21 to their name at this stage 11 years ago.

Liverpool 2-1 Newcastle United: Carvalho the late hero

Newcastle led with an hour played at Anfield, only for Roberto Firmino to level and Fabio Carvalho to fire home in the 98th minute to snatch all three points for Liverpool.

That was the 40th winning Premier League goal scored by Liverpool in the 90th minute or later – the most of any side – with three of those coming in this fixture.

Timed at 97 minutes and nine seconds, it was Liverpool's latest goal in the top flight since Dirk Kuyt's penalty against Arsenal in April 2011 (101:48).

Alexander Isak had earlier given Newcastle the lead with a debut goal, making him the sixth Swedish player to net on his Premier League bow.

Arsenal 2-1 Aston Villa: Martinelli keeps Gunners perfect

Arsenal dug deep to overcome Villa and make it five wins in a row to begin a league campaign for the first time since the 2004-05 season, when they went on to finish second.

Gabriel Jesus steered Arsenal ahead for his sixth goal involvement in his first five Premier League outings for the club, breaking Mesut Ozil's previous record of five.

Douglas Luiz equalised directly from a corner, but Arsenal hit back just 151 seconds later through Gabriel Martinelli, who converted Bukayo Saka's cross.

That was Saka's 17th Premier League assist – only Cesc Fabregas (38), Wayne Rooney (22) and Michael Owen (18) had more before turning 21.

West Ham 1-1 Tottenham: Soucek denies Spurs

Tottenham could not see out a lead at London Stadium as they were denied the chance to make their best start to a Premier League season after five games.

Thilo Kehrer turned a Harry Kane delivery into his own net, with that a league-high seventh own goal scored by West Ham since the start of the 2020-21 season.

Tomas Soucek levelled for West Ham with his 19th Premier League goal, each of those coming from inside the 18-yard box.

That strike was assisted by Michail Antonio on his 200th league appearance for West Ham, whose tally of two goals after five games is their fewest since 1994-95 (one).

While Spurs could not hold on for the win, they are unbeaten after five games in the competition for only the third time, having previously done so in 2004-05 and 2016-17.

It has been a record-breaking transfer window across Europe, and one that has thrown up more than a surprise or two on the continent with numerous big-name players making fresh starts.

While the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Sadio Mane, Erling Haaland and Gabriel Jesus have all made fast starts to life at their new clubs, for others their futures remain unclear heading into the final day of the window.

As any football supporter will know, some of the biggest deals can often be left to deadline day – and occasionally even after the cut-off point, as long as an agreement has been reached and ratified with the relevant authorities.

With less than 24 hours of the window to run across each of Europe's top five leagues, Stats Perform looks at the names that could yet be on the move on Thursday.

Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)

It has been quite the transfer window for Manchester United forward Ronaldo. Having only returned to Old Trafford last year, the Portugal international is reported to have informed the club of his desire to leave in early July, coinciding with the arrival of new head coach Erik ten Hag.

Ten Hag has repeatedly stated Ronaldo remains part of his plans, but the 37-year-old's lack of playing time this season suggests otherwise – albeit not helped by a disrupted pre-season owing to family reasons.

Ronaldo proved last season he is still capable of doing a job at the highest level, though finding a club willing to pay his huge wages – on top of paying a fee to United – is a different matter. Rumoured interest from Bayern Munich, Chelsea and even Sporting CP came to little, though talk of a surprise switch to Napoli persists.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Barcelona)

Just six months on from arriving at Barcelona as a free agent following a tumultuous end to his time with Arsenal, Aubameyang may well be on his way back to English football with Chelsea.

The Gabon international has slipped down the pecking order at Camp Nou following the arrival of Lewandowski and Barca could do with freeing up some funds, with Aubameyang one of a few players still in place that were expected to depart.

Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel previously worked with Aubameyang at Borussia Dortmund and recently said he feels like the striker is still one of his players. Having scored 68 goals in 128 Premier League games for Arsenal, Aubameyang already has proven pedigree in the division.

Anthony Gordon (Everton)

Given Chelsea's slow start to the 2022-23 season, it is perhaps no surprise that they are being linked with numerous names ahead of Thursday's deadline. Everton winger Gordon is high on the Blues' list of targets, with a couple of bids already reported to have been knocked back.

Everton boss and Chelsea legend Frank Lampard stressed once again on Tuesday that Gordon is not for sale, but one final push from the London club – and a word or two from Gordon, should that be what he wants – may well tempt the Toffees into a sale.

While the sums of money being discussed for a player with just 35 league starts to his name may be extortionate, Chelsea have clearly identified Gordon as a vital piece of their jigsaw and do not appear ready to give up on him without a fight.

 

Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona)

De Jong's name dominated the gossip columns for a large period of the transfer window, though things have gone a little quieter on that front after Manchester United instead moved for Casemiro.

That is not to say a move has been entirely ruled out, however, particularly when taking Barca's rather desperate financial situation into account. 

With Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain having also been linked with De Jong at various points, the Netherlands international may just have a big decision to make in the next 24 hours or so.

Pedro Neto (Wolves)

Jurgen Klopp has made no secret of his desire to bring another midfielder to Liverpool before the window closes due to Thiago Alcantara, Curtis Jones, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all nursing injuries.

The club do not want to bring in a player for the sake of it, however, limiting themselves to just a few targets. RB Leipzig's Konrad Laimer and Inter's Nicolo Barella had been among those linked, but moves for both are said to have been ruled out.

Brighton and Hove Albion's Moises Caicedo and Neto of Wolves, the latter of whom is also supposedly on Arsenal's radar, are two other candidates to come in on deadline day. Time, though, is not on Liverpool's side.

Youri Tielemans (Leicester City)

Perhaps Liverpool would be wiser to move for Leicester midfielder Youri Tielemans, who could be available for as little as £25million if certain reports are to be believed.

Arsenal, too, could do with some further midfield competition and are known to have shown an interest in the talented Belgium international in the past.

Tielemans, capable of operating as a deep-lying midfielder or higher up the pitch, is due to become a free agent at the end of the campaign, meaning Leicester's hand is being forced somewhat.

Sergino Dest (Barcelona)

Them again! Despite their well-publicised financial issues, Barcelona have still managed to substantially strengthen their squad this window, and there could still be another arrival at Camp Nou.

An agreement is said to be in place to sign left-back Marcos Alonso from Chelsea, while Juan Foyth had been strongly linked prior to sustaining an injury for Villarreal. However, a move for either player is likely dependent on freeing up some cash first.

The departure of one of aforementioned duo Aubameyang or De Jong would help in that regard, as would exits for fringe players Martin Braithwaite, Miralem Pjanic and Ez Abde. At this stage, it appears Dest is the closest of Barca's first-teamers to leaving, with Milan his most likely destination.

A goal in the 98th minute from substitute Fabio Carvalho gave Liverpool a dramatic 2-1 win against Newcastle United at Anfield on Wednesday.

Newcastle debutant Alexander Isak, playing just hours after receiving his work permit, had given his new team a first-half lead with a fine finish, only for Roberto Firmino to equalise in the second half.

It looked like more dropped points for Jurgen Klopp's side as the game ticked into stoppage time, but a late corner caused a goalmouth scramble, which ended in Carvalho scoring for the second time in a week.

Eddie Howe will be disappointed with the result but would have been pleased with the efforts of his team, who were missing key players Bruno Guimaraes and Allan Saint-Maximin.

Isak had the first shot for the visitors as he cut inside Trent Alexander-Arnold and Fabinho before lifting his effort high and wide of Alisson's far post, with Ryan Fraser also having a shot from the edge of the box that flew in the same direction.

Liverpool saw most of the ball in the first half but had to wait until the 34th minute for their first real chance after Firmino found Luis Diaz down the middle, only for the winger to miss the target from an angle after rounding Nick Pope.

Newcastle took the lead seven minutes before half-time when a Jordan Henderson clearance could only find Sean Longstaff, whose through ball picked out Isak to finish emphatically as he buried his shot into the top-left corner.

Isak had the ball in the net again early in the second half after good work on the counter attack but was marginally offside, and Liverpool were level shortly after as Firmino ran onto a Mohamed Salah pass from the right to sweep a shot into the bottom-left corner of the net.

It looked like a resolute Newcastle defence had held firm in the closing stages to secure a point, yet Salah nodded down to Carvalho from a corner, and the 20-year-old smashed the ball in off the crossbar from close range to send the home fans wild.

Jurgen Klopp jokingly ordered his Liverpool players to pay him as much attention as they paid Steve Kerr when the Golden State Warriors coach visited the Reds' training ground.

Kerr won five NBA championships as a player and has been crowned a winner four times as a coach, with the Warriors defeating the Boston Celtics to claim victory in the 2022 NBA Finals.

The American also guided Golden State to 73 wins in the 2015-16 season, breaking the record for the most wins in an NBA campaign.

Kerr took the chance to visit Liverpool's Kirkby base during his off-season, meeting the players and coaching staff after he watched over their training session.

While coaching methods and man-management styles may have been expected to be discussed, Klopp revealed no such conversations took place between the two top bosses.

"We didn't have this kind of conversation, to be honest," Klopp said, when asked if there was a coaching element to their talks. "We had a very private conversation."

Klopp's players, who play Newcastle United on Wednesday, were so awestruck in the presence of Kerr that their German boss hoped they could show as much interest when he addresses them.

"A fantastic guy. It was a pleasure to meet him," Klopp said. "I took a picture when he spoke to a couple of the players and said to the boys, 'If you looked one time as concentrated when I talk to you, it would be really cool'.

"I told him what we were doing. The training grounds for football and basketball look slightly different and he liked everything that he saw.

"The one moment I was really, really happy I didn't become a basketball coach was when he said he has to do press every day. Wow. That would be a killer. But he has a four-month break."

Klopp added: "He is one of the greatest in the game – absolutely outstanding. You can be seen as big as you want in public. Smart people stay still, are very grounded and are just good people. It was a real pleasure to meet them."

Liverpool have handed Sepp van den Berg a new long-term contract and allowed the defender to join Schalke on loan for the rest of the season.

The Dutchman, who arrived at Anfield in 2019, was expected to spend the campaign away from Merseyside to experience more first-time football and Blackburn Rovers were hopeful of signing him.

Liverpool on Tuesday confirmed the 20-year-old has signed a new deal and will continue his development in the Bundesliga.

"I was really happy when I heard Schalke were interested in me," the former Preston North End loanee stated. "I will [take this chance] with complete conviction."

Jurgen Klopp could not believe Scott Parker was sacked by Bournemouth after losing 9-0 to his Liverpool side, suggesting "the right owners" would not have made such a decision.

Saturday's game at Anfield tied the record for the biggest defeat in Premier League history, with Bournemouth completely outclassed.

It was a third defeat in a row for the newly promoted outfit, who had also been comfortably beaten by Manchester City and Arsenal without scoring.

A Bournemouth statement confirming Parker's departure on Tuesday appeared to suggest his dismissal was not based on results alone, as it stated the head coach had to be "aligned in our strategy to run the club sustainably".

"We must also show belief in and respect for one another," it added.

Parker had bemoaned Bournemouth's lack of transfer activity since their promotion from the Championship and even suggested the Liverpool loss had not come as a surprise and could be repeated without action in the market.

Regardless, Klopp felt this call was "really harsh", referring to it as "unbelievable" as a question on Parker was posed to him at a news conference later on Tuesday.

"When I heard it today, that's the moment where you realise how important the right owners are," he said.

"We all know there are different systems in the Premier League, how clubs are led.

"Some rules don't allow them to do exactly what they want. If they could stretch their resources, that would be strange – they could do anything, because they are owned by countries.

"Then other clubs who have other structures, like us or Arsenal or whoever, and then there are clubs like Bournemouth. You saw three teams coming up, Fulham, Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth.

"Nottingham is spending like... they spend. Fulham is doing some stuff. And I can't remember that Bournemouth did a lot.

"That is obviously difficult, if you come up from the Championship and arrive in the Premier League. That is not easy, so I felt for Scott.

"It's not that his team are not good enough, not at all. I'm not sure where you get that idea if the first four games gives you Arsenal, City and Liverpool.

"If you have nervous owners, that's like set up for a new manager: 'Let's see how he can do.'

"That's why I was very surprised, very surprised. I think Scott is an outstanding manager, to be honest – what he did with Fulham, in his first job, and now Bournemouth, in the Championship, getting up.

"This is an outstanding achievement and really difficult, and then you get four games and three of them are Arsenal, City and Liverpool, and your owner tells you, 'see you later'. That's really harsh."

That does not mean Klopp and Liverpool are always on the same page, as he explained there were also sometimes disagreements about the Anfield club's approach, even if he is now accustomed to how they work.

Asked if he had been backed, Klopp replied: "This summer? What does it mean, 'backed'?

"What I don't like is that if I say 'I'm not sure', we make a massive thing of it, but I realised as well it was always like this. Was it always easy? No."

He added: "Let me say it like this: from time to time, I would like to risk a bit more, but I don't decide that. We have a great team, and we will really try to squeeze everything out of this season."

Jurgen Klopp confirmed Liverpool are still working to make a signing in the transfer window ahead of Thursday's deadline, even if he will be relieved when it is all over.

Reds manager Klopp revealed last week he had changed his opinion on the need for a new midfielder at Anfield, having previously insisted his squad was strong enough.

When the Liverpool boss made those comments, ahead of facing Bournemouth at home, they were still winless.

Bournemouth were subsequently swatted aside 9-0, but Klopp is pressing ahead with the new plan to make a signing, although "the really important stuff" will follow after the window closes.

Asked if Liverpool were still active, Klopp replied: "'Ish'. Somehow, yeah, but the closer we get to the last minute, the more unlikely it gets. That's how it is. What can I say? We are not out.

"It's difficult, it's really difficult, because for sure there are a few players out there who would be the right ones, but they have different issues.

"Some of them are contracted to clubs who don't want to sell, all these kinds of things. We cannot force them.

"When it's over and we've signed or not signed [someone], then I'm really happy about that, because we've stopped thinking about it in that moment; we can just focus on the squad we have, the team we have, be ready to face all the problems we'll have in the season.

"Our supporters who are pretty active on social media every day can just stop doing that, because we have a good football team. We have injuries, but they'll come back.

"If somebody expects us to always do what others are doing or what some people want to do, that's not possible. It's never happened before, it will not happen in the future.

"This club arrived here in this situation with the way we deal with situations. I don't make the decisions about how much we spend, that's the truth, but I never did, and we're still here and we've won a couple of things.

"From that moment [when the window closes], we can focus on the really important stuff. Yes, bringing in the right players is important, but if we can't do that now, then we can't do it."

Next opponents Newcastle United could be counted among those clubs who have approached the market differently to Liverpool, spending more than £200million in this calendar year following a lucrative takeover last October.

And Klopp has no doubt Eddie Howe's side will soon be challenging the elite in the Premier League.

"They will be," he said. "If Eddie gets time and stuff like this... I'm not sure they need another transfer window, but if he gets time, they will definitely be.

"That's the football world we live in; it's completely fine.

"Newcastle is a great club and has a lot of success in the past and now for a few years not that much anymore. They have now everything you need to be 'top six' or whatever that means."

Liverpool have had Joel Matip and Curtis Jones back in training ahead of Wednesday's game, while Diogo Jota will join the group later in the week, with Thiago Alcantara set to follow "slightly later".

Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel has been open about his desire for more signings ahead of the closure of the transfer window.

The London club have been one of the big spenders during this transfer window but Tuchel believes they need more reinforcements to be competitive in the title race.

The Blues have lost Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger, Emerson Palmieri and Timo Werner, while Romelu Lukaku departed on loan and Marcos Alonso is expected to join Barcelona.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA PLOTTING AUBA SWOOP

Chelsea are plotting a deadline day move to land ex-Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Barcelona, reports The Guardian.

Blues boss Tuchel has asked owner Todd Boehly to free up £200million with three targets in mind before Thursday's deadline, headlined by the Gabon international.

Chelsea are set to close out a deal for Leicester City defender Wesley Fofana for £70m, while Everton's Anthony Gordon is also on their wish list.

Aubameyang has only been used once for eight minutes off the bench this LaLiga season, with Robert Lewandowski starring up front for the Blaugrana.

ROUND-UP

–  Liverpool are pondering a late £42m bid for Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo,  according to The Sun. Brighton, however, believe that the Ecuador international is worth almost double that price.

– Metro reports  Cristiano Ronaldo could seal a move from Manchester United to Napoli this week. Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes is working on a swap deal, possibly involving Victor Osimhen .

– La Gazzetta dello Sport claims  Paris Saint-Germain 's €23m offer with add-ons for Napoli midfielder Fabian Ruiz has been accepted and he will undergo a medical on Tuesday. The Spaniard has been frozen out after refusing to extend his contract, which has less than 12 months to run.

Tottenham have revived their interest in Atletico Madrid winger Yannick Carrasco,  according to the Telegraph. The 28-year-old Belgian has two years to run on his contract.

– The Sun claims  Wolves have rejected a bid worth £8.5m from Everton for midfielder Leander Dendoncker .

– Barcelona and Manchester United have not reached an agreement on a deal for USA international Sergino Dest , reports Cadena COPE.

Brighton and Hove Albion head coach Graham Potter is confident the club will retain Moises Caicedo amid reported interest from some of the Premier League's big hitters.

The 20-year-old Ecuadorian has become a pivotal asset for the Seagulls since returning from a loan stint with Beerschot in January, scoring in the 4-0 victory over Manchester United at the back end of last season.

Following the departure of Yves Bissouma to Tottenham in June, Caicedo's importance has increased and he has been a mainstay in the club's stellar start to the season, which sees them sitting fourth in the Premier League with 10 points from four games.

Caicedo's exploits have not gone unnoticed, with United and Liverpool among those attributed with an interest in in him.

Potter is unconcerned about the prospect of Caicedo leaving before the transfer window closes on Thursday, though he does accept it is not an impossibility.

"It doesn't surprise me that people are looking at him because he's playing at a fantastic level and, as soon as you do your research on him, you realise he's a top kid," Potter said on Monday.

"Young, played in the Premier League, has all of the attributes to play at the highest level, so it's no surprise.

"But we know the position that he's in, we know the position that the club are in, which is that we don't want to lose him and we don't think we will. In football, you never know, that's how it is, but we're quite calm and confident."

Quizzed further on a reported £42million fee for Caicedo, Potter added: "I think you'd probably get his boots for that, maybe. It's not for me to talk about, it is what it is."

Brighton continue their Premier League campaign against Fulham on Tuesday, then tackling early strugglers Leicester City at the weekend.

Chelsea have reportedly locked in on Everton's Anthony Gordon and are desperate to get a deal done before the deadline, going as far as including both Armando Broja and Conor Gallagher in their latest offer.

Gordon - who scored his first goal of the season in his side's 1-1 draw against Brentford at the weekend - has seen his stature rise meteorically, with the 21-year-old now considered a real chance to represent England at the World Cup later this year.

Chelsea have already had an offer of £50million plus add-ons rejected, and after previous rumours hinted that Everton wanted one of Gallagher or Broja on loan to make it happen, a stunning new report claims the Stamford Bridge side are willing to take it a step further.

 

TOP STORY – CHELSEA WILLING TO PART WAYS WITH GALLAGHER AND BROJA IN GORDON DEAL

The report from Football Insider states Chelsea are willing to send Gallagher and Broja to Everton on permanent moves, as well as adding £25m in cash, making the total offer value in the range of £85m.

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has been clear about how highly he values 20-year-old Broja and 22-year-old Gallagher, with both players coming on as substitutes in the first two Premier League fixtures.

However, Broja has been left on the bench the past two games, and Gallagher's two starts have resulted in a 3-0 loss to Leeds United and a red card against Leicester City just 28 minutes into the action.

So far this season, only Raheem Sterling against Leicester has registered more than one shot on target in a single game, while Gordon has had at least two shots on target in each of his past three outings, including five against Nottingham Forest and four against Brentford.

ROUND-UP

– Sky Sports Italia is reporting Juventus have interest in Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz if they can not secure Leandro Paredes from Paris Saint-Germain.

– In their search for strikers, Chelsea are said to be considering Crystal Palace's Wilfried Zaha, although Barcelona's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang remains the priority, according to the Guardian.

– The Daily Mail claims that after reportedly accepting a deal in the range of £80m (€95m) from Manchester United for Antony, Ajax are hoping to bring Chelsea's Hakim Ziyech back to the Eredivisie.

Liverpool's midfielder hunt has brought them to Sheffield United's 24-year-old Norwegian international Sander Berge, per the Yorkshire Post.

–The Evening Standard is reporting Tottenham midfielder Harry Winks is finalising a move to Sampdoria after initially holding out hope of a Premier League club swooping in.

Liverpool-linked midfielder Ruben Neves is "99 per cent" likely to stay at Wolves beyond the end of the transfer window, according to head coach Bruno Lage.

Neves, who has emerged as a key figure since arriving at Wolves in 2017, had reportedly been targeted by the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United earlier in the transfer window after entering the final two years of his contract.

More recently, Liverpool have been touted as suitors for the Portugal international after Jurgen Klopp acknowledged the Reds may have to recruit a midfielder to ease their injury crisis.

Neves assumed the captain's armband at Wolves after Conor Coady was loaned to Everton, and scored a stunning long-range goal in their 1-1 draw with Newcastle United on Sunday.

The 25-year-old has scored 19 non-penalty goals for Wolves in all competitions, 16 of which have come from outside the penalty area. Since joining the Molineux club, he has scored four times as many goals from outside the box than any of his team-mates.

With Neves performing well despite Wolves' failure to win any of their first four Premier League games of the season, Lage is confident of retaining his services.

"Ruben is playing very well, that's why he was so important last season," Lage said. "He's started in a good moment. He has been amazing since the first day here. Now it's time to continue to work.

"I am 99 per cent he will stay with us for one more year. I can say 100, but you never know with the market.

"He is happy here, he is our captain and I am sure that he will be here to play for us. You can see that he is focused on his team and his game."

Although Neves looks set to stay at Molineux, defender Willy Boly could depart after failing to turn up for the Newcastle fixture despite being named in the matchday squad.

Boly has been linked with big-spending Premier League new boys Nottingham Forest, and Lage accused him of trying to "force something" after seeing his side pegged back late on in Sunday's draw.

Jude Bellingham has no interest in leaving Borussia Dortmund this window amid reported interest from Liverpool, according to BVB sporting director Sebastian Kehl.

Liverpool are rumoured to have turned their focus to the England international in order to bolster their midfield ranks prior to Thursday's transfer deadline.

However, Kehl insists there has been no formal approach made for Bellingham as he categorically ruled out a sale in the final days of the transfer window.

"There has been no request for him," Kehl told Sky90. "Honestly, I know that from the player and his family. 

"Jude has no interest in going anywhere this summer. He will stay with us. That I can guarantee to you today. I can see he feels super comfortable with us."

 

Bellingham has made a big impact for the Bundesliga giants since arriving from Birmingham City two seasons ago.

Despite only turning 19 in June, Bellingham started 44 games for Dortmund in all competitions in the 2021-22 season – four more than any other player.

He has also racked up 15 senior caps for England and became the youngest player to represent the Three Lions in a major tournament at last year's Euro 2020.

With Bellingham's reputation continuing to grow after he impressed across BVB's first four games of the new season, it has also been reported that Liverpool are prepared to wait until January to bring him in.

Asked if he expects the teenager to be at Dortmund at the end of the season, Kehl replied: "I hope so," adding the youngster will "want to take the next step at some point."

Dortmund have started the 2022-23 season with three wins and a defeat, leaving them a point off early pacesetters Bayern Munich and Union Berlin.

Liverpool's hunt for midfield reinforcements is heating up, with the club reportedly investigating the possibility of bringing in Borussia Dortmund's England star Jude Bellingham in the January window.

As well as a Bellingham deal – which would likely have to exceed £100million – the Reds are also weighing up potential moves for Wolves' Ruben Neves and RB Leipzig's Konrad Laimer.

Football Insider is reporting Liverpool and Dortmund have reached a "verbal agreement" on a price for Bellingham, although the Bundesliga club has been consistent with their stance that they want to hold onto him for this season.

Laimer, on the other hand, only has one more year on his contract, and has told Leipzig he will not sign an extension, making him the most likely of the three to be on the move.

 

TOP STORY – LIVERPOOL LOOK AT LAIMER AND NEVES

Laimer, 25, is coming off a season with four goals and four assists in 26 Bundesliga games, and has shown he can produce against quality opposition, with a goal and two assists from his home and away fixtures against Bayern Munich.

The 90min report believes Laimer may be angling for a move to the Bundesliga champions after proving himself against them, but Liverpool could try and take him to Anfield.

Meanwhile, Wolves have been able to fend off interest for Neves from fellow Premier League clubs such as Manchester United and Arsenal, but with two years left on his deal, now would be the time to cash in if his long-term future is not at Molineux.

 

ROUND UP

– The Mirror are reporting if Antony leaves Ajax , the Eredivisie champions will try to land Aston Villa's Anwar El Ghazi as a replacement.

– According to Sky Sports, Newcastle United goalkeeper Martin Dubravka has told the club he wants to be sold to Manchester   United .

– The Sun claims Chelsea are considering terminating Ross Barkley's contract, which pays him £200,000 per week.

Barcelona are working on moves for Bernardo Silva and Marcos Alonso , according to the Daily Mail. 

– talkSPORT report  West Ham are in talks with Adnan Januzaj to bring the 27-year-old back to the Premier League, as he is available on a free transfer after leaving Real Sociedad.

Liverpool equalled the Premier League record for the biggest win after putting Bournemouth to the sword with a 9-0 victory at Anfield – becoming only the fourth side to score nine goals in a game in the competition after Manchester United, Leicester City and Tottenham.

Striker Roberto Firmino opened his account for the season with a brace to hit a landmark 100 goals for Liverpool, while elsewhere in England's north west Manchester City won a Premier League game after being 2-0 behind at the break for the first time, beating Crystal Palace 3-2.

Manchester United secured a second win in a week with a 1-0 win against Southampton, ending a run of seven-consecutive away defeats in the Premier League, and 10-man Chelsea beat Leicester City 2-1 – which saw back-to-back dismissals for the Blues, the first time since under Jose Mourinho in 2014.

Elsewhere, Brighton maintained their fine start to the season with a 1-0 win against Leeds United, Brentford held Everton to a 1-1 draw and Arsenal came from behind to beat Fulham 2-1.

Stats Perform has taken a dive into Opta's data pool to present a number-led review on the best of the day's Premier League action.

Liverpool 9-0 Bournemouth: Reds run riot to equal Premier League record

Jurgen Klopp's men saw plenty of records fall their way as they picked up a first Premier League victory of the season at the fourth time of asking, equalling a club record for their biggest margin of league victory – when beating Crystal Palace 9-0 in 1989 and Rotherham Town 10-1 in 1896.

A first-half blitz saw the Reds score five in the first half of a Premier League game for the first time, while it was the first occasion they had scored five in the first half of a top-flight match since October 1927 against Portsmouth.

Firmino was undoubtedly the star of the show, becoming the first Liverpool player to be directly involved in four goals in the first half of a single Premier League match (one goal, three assists), and a second goal after the break saw the Brazilian become just the third Liverpool player to have a hand in five goals in a single Premier League match after Mohamed Salah against Watford in March 2018 and Luis Suarez versus Norwich in December 2013.

It was also a day for the next generation, with goals from Harvey Elliott and Fabio Carvalho, both 19, seeing Liverpool have two different teenagers score in the same Premier League game for the first time in their history.

For Bournemouth, the loss hands Scott Parker's side an unwanted record having conceded 16 goals in the first four games in the Premier League, more than any other side, while their aggregate score against Liverpool in the past seven Premier League matches stands at 28-1 against.

Manchester City 4-2 Crystal Palace: Haaland hits hat-trick as champions break tradition

Falling 2-0 down in the first half, it appeared City were set for another surprising home defeat to Crystal Palace, but a valiant response after the break saw Pep Guardiola's side break tradition – coming back from a two-goal deficit at the break to win a Premier League match for the first time ever, having drawn two and lost 51 of the previous 53 occasions.

Performances will be concerning, however, with City falling two goals behind in four of their past six Premier League matches, as many as in their previous 84 matches combined.

Both goals came after 21 minutes, marking the earliest City have been two behind at home in the Premier League since December 2010 against Everton (2-0 down after 19 minutes).

City have been formidable when falling behind, though, and a quick start for Haaland to life at City will be extremely encouraging, netting his fourth hat-trick in Europe's big five leagues and becoming just the fourth player to score six-or-more goals in their first four Premier League appearances after Diego Costa, Sergio Aguero and Mick Quinn.

Palace can at least be encouraged by the performance of Eberechi Eze, who is just the third player to provide an assist in three consecutive away appearances for the Eagles after John Salako in 1992 and Christian Benteke in 2018.

Arsenal 2-1 Fulham: Gunners grind out result to maintain 100 per cent record

For only the third time in Premier League history, Arsenal have won each of their opening four matches in a season. The Gunners have not managed that feat since 2004-05, when they went on to finish runners-up, and in 2003-04, when they won the title.

Mikel Arteta's side showed they were made of sterner stuff, conceding first in the second half and going on to win for the first time since Boxing Day 2013 against West Ham. It marked the manager's 100th league match in style, with Arteta picking up 100 points in his second 50 games (W32 D4 L14) after accruing 75 in his first 50 (W21 D12 L17).

Gabriel's winning goal was his eighth strike in the Premier League since the start of 2020-21, more than any other central defender, while Martin Odegaard scored his third in three matches, as many as he netted in his previous 24.

For Fulham, a poor record in London derbies was maintained as the Cottagers have won just one of their past 26 in the Premier League, drawing five and losing 20, though Aleksandar Mitrovic netted his 100th goal for the club in all competitions – only Mohamed Salah (133), Harry Kane (121) and Ivan Toney (106) have scored more in England's top four tiers in that time.

Scott Parker was not surprised by Bournemouth's remarkable 9-0 defeat at Liverpool and warned the club they need to "get competitive" to avoid a repeat.

Liverpool, who were winless heading into Saturday's game at Anfield, tied the Premier League record with a hugely one-sided scoreline – the joint-worst loss Bournemouth have suffered in their league history.

Luis Diaz and Roberto Firmino both scored twice, while Harvey Elliott, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Fabio Carvalho also netted, along with a Chris Mepham own goal.

Bournemouth have now lost three consecutive games to Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool, conceding 16 goals without reply. No side have previously shipped as many at this stage of a Premier League season.

Parker was critical of his players against Arsenal but sided with them after this latest rout, repeating his pre-season belief that the squad was short of the required quality following promotion from the Championship.

"I think the bottom line is we were in the arena with massive quality," he explained to Sky Sports. "At this present moment in time, we're probably not equipped to handle where it currently is really.

"So, I'm hugely disappointed, one, because of the result, of course.

"I'm disappointed for the travelling fans, and I'm also bitterly disappointed for the players as well really. It doesn't surprise me, and I probably sensed this.

"Yeah, this is probably where it is at this present moment in time, in terms of the players and everyone needs a little bit of help.

"Today just proved too big a challenge. The levels were far too big, and the quality was there for everyone to see, really.

"A clinical team, and we couldn't bear that, at times the intensity of the stadium as well.

"We've got a decision to make, really – I think that's where it is as a football club. We've got a decision to make. We need to get competitive in this division, really, because there will be days like this."

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