Archive April 17, 2025

Virgil van Dijk is more than just Liverpool’s leader on the pitch. He is also hugely important to the way they play under Arne Slot.

That’s why it’s brilliant news for the club that he has followed Mohamed Salah and signed a new contract to keep him at Anfield for another two years.

The pair of them are already Liverpool legends because of what they have done for the club, but they are going to be a big part of what happens next too.

There are still going to be some changes when Slot shapes his squad at the end of this season but it will mostly be a case of strengthening rather than filling the huge hole he’d have been left with if two such iconic stars had gone.

Van Dijk allows Liverpool to play with a high line, and be aggressive in the way they play, because of his speed and strength together with his quality in the air and in one-on-one situations.

The team are less gung-ho under Slot than they were in the last couple of seasons under Jurgen Klopp, and now they tend to only flood players forward when they know they have got a better foundation in behind, if they do lose the ball.

Even so, Van Dijk can still get dragged out of position sometimes when their back four is unbalanced – for example when Alexander-Arnold goes into midfield and Ibrahima Konate has to shift across.

But he always looks comfortable – and it appears almost effortless when he deals with whatever situation he is put in.

Van Dijk makes it all look very easy and is extremely consistent too, so when he has a couple of shaky games, or even just difficult moments in games like he had against Everton and Fulham at the beginning of April, you always notice, but I always expect a big response to any mistakes.

When people talk about the best centre-backs of the Premier League era, he is obviously right up there.

If you could genetically engineer the perfect defender then you would build Van Dijk because on top of his physicality he can pass the ball brilliantly to launch attacks, and has this calmness about him too.

We often talk about when a player has composure on the ball, but what is special about Van Dijk is how composed he looks without it, because of his positioning and anticipation.

The barometer of an elite-level centre-back is whether they are in control of the striker they are facing, or vice versa.

Salah has thrived under Slot and the way Liverpool play now definitely suits him, and makes him harder to stop.

One of the tweaks Slot made from Liverpool’s playing style under Klopp was to add an extra attacker, and now we see Dominik Szoboszlai playing high up the pitch in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

It means more defenders are drawn towards the other players, and that gives Salah more space than he had in Klopp’s 4-3-3 shape.

As a former full-back myself, I know the last thing you want in that position when you are facing him – and Luis Diaz or Cody Gakpo on Liverpool’s left – is to be isolated in a one-versus-one situation with them.

When they are narrower, they are running inside into more bodies and have less of an effect on the game, but this season Salah is being asked to stay very high and wide.

That’s partly down to Szoboszlai almost playing like a false striker, because Salah doesn’t want to congest that central space too much, but his incredible numbers this season show how the system works.

He has been quieter of late – his assist for Luis Diaz’s goal against West Ham on Sunday was his first goal or assist, other than penalties, since the end of February – but even during this spell where his form has dipped, you can tell Slot is reluctant to take him off because he knows if something falls for Salah, then more often than not he is going to convert it.

Whoever plays in that role will know that Salah is not going to track back as much as he once did, which adds to their defensive responsibilities. And if the right-back is still getting forward as well, it means one of the centre midfielders and the right-sided centre-back will have to get across to cover more often.

Alexander-Arnold’s future is still uncertain and his exit would affect the whole team, but it would have implications for Salah, in particular, given the phenomenal dynamic they have down the right.

If he leaves, Salah is going to lose some of his supply line for chances too.

Some people pointed at the run of games in March and April where Salah did not perform well and put it down to his age – he turns 33 in June – but I don’t see that as a factor.

Like Van Dijk, who turns 34 in July, he has started every Premier League game this season, so durability is not an issue.

You can see the condition Salah is in from his social media posts, but you only understand why he is in such fantastic shape when you hear his team-mates speak about his approach to training.

I’ve listened to interviews with Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones where they talk about how Salah is always first at the training ground and how hard he works during sessions and in the gym.

So it is not a fluke that he is able to play all these games. He is prepared to put in the work off the pitch.

It is exactly the same with Van Dijk, and it shows their professionalism as well as their hunger for success. They have both won it all with Liverpool but they still want more.

It looks as if Slot is going to win the Premier League in his first season, although until last weekend’s results I actually was not too confident about that, despite Liverpool’s lead at the top of the table.

The team have looked exhausted in recent weeks, with lack of rotation one of the reasons for that.

It felt as if there was far more trust in the squad in the first half of the campaign. Since then, Slot has almost reverted to a certain team and they are starting to look a bit tired, and far more vulnerable.

I am certainly not criticising Slot, because to do what he has done with a team he has inherited is still incredible, but I feel he knows he needs to strengthen and that we will see the difference next season when he has the squad depth he wants.

Even when Liverpool have looked heavy-legged, Slot has hardly given a sniff to Elliott or Federico Chiesa in midfield or up front. He either doesn’t trust them, or feels they are not suited to his system.

It’s the same with Jarell Quansah. He was on the bench against Fulham but, when Konate came off, Ryan Gravenberch dropped back to centre-half instead.

Whatever the reason, it feels almost a case where Slot is getting across the line using this squad this season, and there are going to be wholesale changes in the summer.

It makes what he has done in such a short space of time even more impressive, especially handling the contract issues of three of his biggest stars at the same time too.

Virgil van Dijk is more than just Liverpool’s leader on the pitch. He is also hugely important to the way they play under Arne Slot.

That’s why it’s brilliant news for the club that he has followed Mohamed Salah and signed a new contract to keep him at Anfield for another two years.

The pair of them are already Liverpool legends because of what they have done for the club, but they are going to be a big part of what happens next too.

There are still going to be some changes when Slot shapes his squad at the end of this season but it will mostly be a case of strengthening rather than filling the huge hole he’d have been left with if two such iconic stars had gone.

Van Dijk allows Liverpool to play with a high line, and be aggressive in the way they play, because of his speed and strength together with his quality in the air and in one-on-one situations.

The team are less gung-ho under Slot than they were in the last couple of seasons under Jurgen Klopp, and now they tend to only flood players forward when they know they have got a better foundation in behind, if they do lose the ball.

Even so, Van Dijk can still get dragged out of position sometimes when their back four is unbalanced – for example when Alexander-Arnold goes into midfield and Ibrahima Konate has to shift across.

But he always looks comfortable – and it appears almost effortless when he deals with whatever situation he is put in.

Van Dijk makes it all look very easy and is extremely consistent too, so when he has a couple of shaky games, or even just difficult moments in games like he had against Everton and Fulham at the beginning of April, you always notice, but I always expect a big response to any mistakes.

When people talk about the best centre-backs of the Premier League era, he is obviously right up there.

If you could genetically engineer the perfect defender then you would build Van Dijk because on top of his physicality he can pass the ball brilliantly to launch attacks, and has this calmness about him too.

We often talk about when a player has composure on the ball, but what is special about Van Dijk is how composed he looks without it, because of his positioning and anticipation.

The barometer of an elite-level centre-back is whether they are in control of the striker they are facing, or vice versa.

Salah has thrived under Slot and the way Liverpool play now definitely suits him, and makes him harder to stop.

One of the tweaks Slot made from Liverpool’s playing style under Klopp was to add an extra attacker, and now we see Dominik Szoboszlai playing high up the pitch in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

It means more defenders are drawn towards the other players, and that gives Salah more space than he had in Klopp’s 4-3-3 shape.

As a former full-back myself, I know the last thing you want in that position when you are facing him – and Luis Diaz or Cody Gakpo on Liverpool’s left – is to be isolated in a one-versus-one situation with them.

When they are narrower, they are running inside into more bodies and have less of an effect on the game, but this season Salah is being asked to stay very high and wide.

That’s partly down to Szoboszlai almost playing like a false striker, because Salah doesn’t want to congest that central space too much, but his incredible numbers this season show how the system works.

He has been quieter of late – his assist for Luis Diaz’s goal against West Ham on Sunday was his first goal or assist, other than penalties, since the end of February – but even during this spell where his form has dipped, you can tell Slot is reluctant to take him off because he knows if something falls for Salah, then more often than not he is going to convert it.

Whoever plays in that role will know that Salah is not going to track back as much as he once did, which adds to their defensive responsibilities. And if the right-back is still getting forward as well, it means one of the centre midfielders and the right-sided centre-back will have to get across to cover more often.

Alexander-Arnold’s future is still uncertain and his exit would affect the whole team, but it would have implications for Salah, in particular, given the phenomenal dynamic they have down the right.

If he leaves, Salah is going to lose some of his supply line for chances too.

Some people pointed at the run of games in March and April where Salah did not perform well and put it down to his age – he turns 33 in June – but I don’t see that as a factor.

Like Van Dijk, who turns 34 in July, he has started every Premier League game this season, so durability is not an issue.

You can see the condition Salah is in from his social media posts, but you only understand why he is in such fantastic shape when you hear his team-mates speak about his approach to training.

I’ve listened to interviews with Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones where they talk about how Salah is always first at the training ground and how hard he works during sessions and in the gym.

So it is not a fluke that he is able to play all these games. He is prepared to put in the work off the pitch.

It is exactly the same with Van Dijk, and it shows their professionalism as well as their hunger for success. They have both won it all with Liverpool but they still want more.

It looks as if Slot is going to win the Premier League in his first season, although until last weekend’s results I actually was not too confident about that, despite Liverpool’s lead at the top of the table.

The team have looked exhausted in recent weeks, with lack of rotation one of the reasons for that.

It felt as if there was far more trust in the squad in the first half of the campaign. Since then, Slot has almost reverted to a certain team and they are starting to look a bit tired, and far more vulnerable.

I am certainly not criticising Slot, because to do what he has done with a team he has inherited is still incredible, but I feel he knows he needs to strengthen and that we will see the difference next season when he has the squad depth he wants.

Even when Liverpool have looked heavy-legged, Slot has hardly given a sniff to Elliott or Federico Chiesa in midfield or up front. He either doesn’t trust them, or feels they are not suited to his system.

It’s the same with Jarell Quansah. He was on the bench against Fulham but, when Konate came off, Ryan Gravenberch dropped back to centre-half instead.

Whatever the reason, it feels almost a case where Slot is getting across the line using this squad this season, and there are going to be wholesale changes in the summer.

It makes what he has done in such a short space of time even more impressive, especially handling the contract issues of three of his biggest stars at the same time too.

Kyren Wilson will compete for the title to be won at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield on Saturday for the 2025 World Snooker Championship.

The Englishman will face Lei Peifan from China on the opening day of the championship game at 10:00 BST after Jak Jones lost to him 18-14 in the 2024 final.

Ronnie O’Sullivan, a seven-time champion and sufferer from health issues, has not yet decided whether or not he will play in the 33rd consecutive tournament.

The 49-year-old is scheduled to face Ali Carter, a two-time champion, in his opening contest on Tuesday at 14:30 BST.

Judd Trump, the world’s number one, kicks off his campaign against Zhou Yuelong at 19:00 on Tuesday.

Every match will be fully aired on iPlayer, the BBC Sport website, and the BBC Sport app, along with comprehensive live coverage of the championship on BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Four, and Red Button.

Wilson has the distinction of being the top seed as the reigning champion.

With Mark Selby and John Higgins, who have won four times, third and fourth, respectively, as well as Trump, who moves into second place.

In the Tour Championship final earlier in April, Higgins defeated Selby to lead the rankings.

O’Sullivan is in contention for eighth place, a record he and Stephen Hendry both hold.

The 49-year-old will face Zhang Anda, Selby, Selby, and Wilson in the semi-finals.

Full seedings:

1) Mark Selby, 2) Judd Trump, 3) John Higgins, and 4) Kyren Wilson

5) Mark Allen, 6) Ronnie O’Sullivan, 7) Luca Brecel, 8) Mark Williams

9) Zhang Anda, 10) Ding Junhui, 10) Barry Hawkins, and 10) Neil Robertson

The qualifying competition, which took place at Sheffield’s English Institute of Sport from April 7 through April 16, saw the participation of 144 players.

Ali Carter, a two-time champion of the Crucible, and Zhao Xintong, a 2021 UK champion, are just two of the 16 players who made their Crucible debuts.

Following a 20-month suspension for his involvement in a match-fixing scandal, China’s Zhao made his professional debut in September.

The number of Chinese players in the first round has now reached ten with the addition of five of Zhao’s fellow countrymen.

Missing from the list were Jackson Page, Gary Wilson, and Jack Lisowski, who won in 2015, Stuart Bingham, and Gary Wilson, the world number 17!

Page, the Welshman’s first qualifier, earned a £147, 000 bonus and placed him in line for the £15, 000 World Championship highest break prize in the third qualifying round, making him the first player to record two maximum breaks in the same match.

However, in the fourth and final qualifying round, Page was denied entry to the Crucible, falling to Englishman Joe O’Connor 10-7.

Since 1977’s relocation to the Crucible Theatre, no first-time champion has been able to keep the title.

The winner will receive £500, 000 and there is total prize fund of £2, 395, 000.

Winner: £500, 000

Runner-up: £200, 000

Semi-finalists: £100, 000

Quarter-finalists: £50, 000

Last 16: £30, 000

Last 32: £20, 000

Last 48: £15, 000

Last 80: £10, 000

Last 112: £5, 000

The best of 19 frames is when a match comes first.

Over a maximum of 25 matches are played in the second round and quarter-final.

The best of 33 frames are semi-final matches.

Watch live broadcasts on BBC One, BBC Two, and BBC Four, or download the games from iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.

Audiences can watch Snooker Extra on BBC Two and iPlayer every night for more coverage of the day’s early games.

Throughout the tournament, Radio 5 Live will have regular updates and features on its programming.

Hazel Irvine, Seema Jaswal, and Rishi Persad will serve as the BBC’s presenters, with Abigail Davis and Shabnam Younus-Jewell reporting.

First round

10:00

Lei Peifan vs. Kyren Wilson (1)

Matthew Selt vs. Xiao Guodong (14)

14:30

Chris Wakelin vs. Neil Robertson (9 / 9)

Wu Yize (6) vs. Mark Williams

19:00

Lei Peifan vs. Kyren Wilson (1)

Hossein Vafaei and Barry Hawkins (11),

Live coverage

10: 00-12: 00 – BBC Two

10: 00-14: 00 – iPlayer, Red Button, BBC Sport website and app

13: 15-16: 30 – BBC One (15: 00-16: 30 on BBC One Scotland and 13: 15-16: 30 on BBC Two Wales)

14: 30-18: 00 – iPlayer, BBC Sport website and app

16: 30-18: 00 – Red Button

19: 00-22: 00 – BBC Four

19: 00-22: 30 – iPlayer, Red Button, BBC Sport website and app

Highlights

First round

10:00

Zhao Xintong vs. Jak Jones (16)

Matthew Selt vs. Xiao Guodong (14)

14:30

Fan Zhengyi vs. Mark Allen (8)

Wu Yize (6) vs. Mark Williams

19:00

Chris Wakelin vs. Neil Robertson (9 / 9)

Hossein Vafaei and Barry Hawkins (11),

Live coverage

10: 00-12: 15 – BBC Two

10: 00-14: 00 – iPlayer, Red Button, BBC Sport website and app

13: 00-17: 40 – BBC Two (13: 00-16: 50 on BBC Two Wales)

14: 30-18: 00 – iPlayer, Red Button, BBC Sport website and app

19: 00-22: 00 – BBC Four

19: 00-22: 30 – iPlayer, Red Button, BBC Sport website and app

Highlights

First round

10:00

Joe O’Connor vs. John Higgins (3)

Zhao Xintong vs. Jak Jones (16)

14:30

Zak Surety vs. Ding Junhui (8)

Fan Zhengyi vs. Mark Allen (8)

19:00

David Gilbert vs. Si Jiahui (13)

Joe O’Connor vs. John Higgins (3)

Live coverage

10: 00-12: 00 – BBC Two

10: 00-14: 00 – iPlayer, Red Button, BBC Sport website and app

13: 00-18: 00 – BBC Two

14: 30-18: 00 – iPlayer, Red Button, BBC Sport website and app

19: 00-22: 00 – BBC Four

19: 00-22: 30 – iPlayer, Red Button, BBC Sport website and app

Highlights

First round

10:00

Pang Junxu (12) and Zhang Anda (12)

Daniel Wells vs. Shaun Murphy (15)

14:30

Ali Carter (5) vs. Ronnie O’Sullivan

Zak Surety vs. Ding Junhui (8)

19:00

Zhou Yuelong v. Judd Trump (2)

David Gilbert vs. Si Jiahui (13)

Live coverage

10: 00-12: 15 – BBC Two

10: 00-14: 00 – iPlayer, Red Button, BBC Sport website and app

13: 00-18: 00 – BBC Two

14: 30-18: 00 – iPlayer, Red Button, BBC Sport website and app

19: 00-22: 00 – BBC Four

19: 00-22: 30 – iPlayer, Red Button, BBC Sport website and app

Highlights

First round

10:00

Pang Junxu (12) and Zhang Anda (12)

Daniel Wells vs. Shaun Murphy (15)

14:30

Ali Carter (5) vs. Ronnie O’Sullivan

Ryan Day (7) versus Luca Brecel

19:00

Ben Woollaston versus Mark Selby (4)

Zhou Yuelong v. Judd Trump (2)

Live coverage

10: 00-11: 15 – BBC Two

10: 00-14: 00 – iPlayer, Red Button, BBC Sport website and app

13: 00-18: 00 – BBC Two

14: 30-18: 00 – iPlayer, Red Button, BBC Sport website and app

19: 00-22: 00 – BBC Four

19: 00-22: 30 – iPlayer, Red Button, BBC Sport website and app

Highlights

First round

Ben Woollaston versus Mark Selby (4)

Second round

Schedule TBC

Live coverage

13: 00-17: 00 – BBC Two

14: 30-18: 00 – iPlayer, Red Button, BBC Sport website and app

19: 00-22: 00 – BBC Four

19: 00-22: 30 – iPlayer, Red Button, BBC Sport website and app

Highlights

Second round

Live coverage

10: 00-12: 00 – BBC Two

10: 00-14: 00 – iPlayer, Red Button, BBC Sport website and app

13: 00-18: 00 – BBC Two

14: 30-18: 00 – iPlayer, Red Button, BBC Sport website and app

19: 00-22: 00 – BBC Four

19: 00-22: 30 – iPlayer, Red Button, BBC Sport website and app

Highlights

Second round

Live coverage

10: 00-12: 00 – BBC Two & Red Button

10: 00-14: 00 – iPlayer, BBC Sport website and app

13: 45-16: 30 – BBC Two

14: 30-18: 00 – iPlayer, BBC Sport website and app

16: 25-18: 00 – Red Button

19: 00-20: 00 – BBC Two

19: 00-22: 30 – iPlayer, Red Button, BBC Sport website and app

20: 00-22: 00 – BBC Four

Highlights

Second round

Live coverage

10: 00-12: 25 – BBC Two

10: 00-14: 00 – iPlayer, BBC Sport website and app (Red Button 10:00-12:15)

13: 00-18: 00 – BBC Two

14: 30-18: 00 – iPlayer, BBC Sport website and app (Red Button 14:40-18:00)

15: 00-18: 00 – BBC Two

19: 00-20: 00 – BBC Two

19: 00-22: 30 – iPlayer, Red Button, BBC Sport website and app

20: 00-22: 00 – BBC Four

Highlights

Second round

Live coverage

13: 00-17: 00 – BBC Two

13: 00-18: 00 – iPlayer, Red Button, BBC Sport website and app

19: 00-20: 00 – BBC Two

19: 00-22: 30 – iPlayer, Red Button, BBC Sport website and app

20: 00-22: 00 – BBC Four

Highlights

Quarter-finals

Live coverage

10: 00-12: 15 – BBC Two

10: 00-14: 00 – iPlayer, Red Button, BBC Sport website and app

13: 00-18: 00 – BBC Two

14: 30-18: 00 – iPlayer, Red Button, BBC Sport website and app

19: 00-20: 00 – BBC Two

19: 00-22: 30 – iPlayer, BBC Sport website and app

20: 00-22: 00 – BBC Four

Highlights

Quarter-finals

Live coverage

10: 00-11: 15 – BBC Two

10: 00-14: 00 – iPlayer, Red Button, BBC Sport website and app

13: 00-18: 00 – BBC Two

14: 30-18: 00 – iPlayer, Red Button, BBC Sport website and app

19: 00-20: 00 – BBC Two

19: 00-22: 30 – iPlayer, BBC Sport website and app

20: 00-22: 00 – BBC Four

Highlights

Semi-finals

Live coverage

13: 00-16: 00 – BBC Two

13: 00-18: 00 – iPlayer, Red Button, BBC Sport website and app

19: 00-20: 00 – BBC Two

19: 00-22: 30 – iPlayer, Red Button, BBC Sport website and app

20: 00-22: 00 – BBC Four

Highlights

Semi-finals

Live coverage

10: 00-12: 00 – BBC Two

10: 00-14: 00 – iPlayer, Red Button, BBC Sport website and app

14: 00-18: 00 – BBC Two

14: 30-18: 00 – iPlayer, Red Button, BBC Sport website and app

19: 00-20: 00 – BBC Two

19: 00-22: 30 – iPlayer, Red Button, BBC Sport website and app

Semi-finals

Live coverage

10: 00-12: 00 – BBC Two

10: 00-14: 00 – iPlayer, BBC Sport website and app

13: 15-16: 30 – BBC One

14: 30-18: 00 – iPlayer, BBC Sport website and app

16: 30-17: 30 – BBC Two

19: 00-22: 00 – BBC Two

19: 00-22: 30 – iPlayer, Red Button, BBC Sport website and app

Final

Live coverage

13: 00-18: 00 – BBC Two

Final

Live coverage

13: 00-16: 00 – BBC Two

The Afghanistan Cricket Board will not see any of its funding from the International Cricket Council cut or diverted to its exiled women’s cricketers.

An initiative to support the displaced Afghan players was announced by the ICC following its board meeting in Zimbabwe last weekend.

However, as reported by ESPN Cricinfo, cricket’s global governing body will not reduce or siphon off money earmarked for the ACB, even though part of the criteria for full membership of the ICC is to support women’s cricket.

The ICC will support the Afghan women through a separate funding mechanism, while the ACB will continue to receive a payment believed to be in the region of £13m per year.

All of that funding will go towards men’s cricket in Afghanistan, with women’s sport outlawed in the country since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.

The ACB is the only full ICC member not to field a women’s team.

Instead, Afghanistan’s women’s cricketers will be funded by the ICC in conjunction with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Cricket Australia and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

An Afghanistan Women’s XI played an exhibition match in Melbourne in January and want to be recognised as a refugee team.

But the ICC is understood to have acknowledged that the prospect of Afghanistan’s women playing official international matches in the near future is a distant one as it would need to be sanctioned by the ACB.

Afghanistan’s women have been promised a robust high-performance programme offering “advanced coaching, world-class facilities and tailored mentorship” which the ICC hopes will “help them reach their full potential”.

Afghanistan’s men’s team have retained their Test status, reached the semi-finals of last year’s T20 World Cup and participated in the Champions Trophy earlier this year.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board will not see any of its funding from the International Cricket Council cut or diverted to its exiled women’s cricketers.

An initiative to support the displaced Afghan players was announced by the ICC following its board meeting in Zimbabwe last weekend.

However, as reported by ESPN Cricinfo, cricket’s global governing body will not reduce or siphon off money earmarked for the ACB, even though part of the criteria for full membership of the ICC is to support women’s cricket.

The ICC will support the Afghan women through a separate funding mechanism, while the ACB will continue to receive a payment believed to be in the region of £13m per year.

All of that funding will go towards men’s cricket in Afghanistan, with women’s sport outlawed in the country since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.

The ACB is the only full ICC member not to field a women’s team.

Instead, Afghanistan’s women’s cricketers will be funded by the ICC in conjunction with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Cricket Australia and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

An Afghanistan Women’s XI played an exhibition match in Melbourne in January and want to be recognised as a refugee team.

But the ICC is understood to have acknowledged that the prospect of Afghanistan’s women playing official international matches in the near future is a distant one as it would need to be sanctioned by the ACB.

Afghanistan’s women have been promised a robust high-performance programme offering “advanced coaching, world-class facilities and tailored mentorship” which the ICC hopes will “help them reach their full potential”.

Afghanistan’s men’s team have retained their Test status, reached the semi-finals of last year’s T20 World Cup and participated in the Champions Trophy earlier this year.