أعلن المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ليفربول، آرني سلوت، عن تشكيل اللاعبين الذين سيخوضون أولى مباريات الودية أمام بريستون نورث إند مع بداية فترة الإعداد.
وتنطلق مباراة ليفربول وبريستون نورث إند في تمام الساعة الخامسة عصرًا بتوقيت “القاهرة” على ملعب الفريق الثاني وسط أجواء من الحزن بسبب وفاة، ديوجو جوتا.
وقام ليفربول بالتعاقد مع عدد من الصفقات الصيفية، وهم، فلوريان فيرتز، ميلوش كيركيز، جيرمي فريمبونج، آرمين بيسكي.
وشهد تشكيل ليفربول تواجد محمد صلاح قائد منتخب مصر أساسيًا رغم حالة الحزن الشديد التي ظهر عليها في الساعات الماضية بسبب وفاة جوتا.
اقرأ أيضًا.. برباتوف: محمد صلاح أفضل لاعب في الدوري الإنجليزي لهذا السبب
Our side to take on Preston today.
You can watch the match live on All Red Video. — Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 13, 2025
تشكيل ليفربول اليوم اليوم أمام بريستون
حراسة المرمى: جيورجي ماماردشفيلي.
الدفاع: كونور برادلي، جو جوميز، كوستاس تسيميكاس.
الوسط الدفاعي: دومينيك سوبوسلاي، جيمس ماكونيل، لوكا ستيفينسون.
الوسط الهجومي: محمد صلاح، ريان جرافنبرخ، فيدريكو كييزا.
As Arsenal go in search of attacking reinforcements, Arsenal Invincible Philippe Senderos has revealed the trait that Matheus Cunha has that Gunners boss Mikel Arteta loves.
Senderos reveals why Arteta would love Cunha signing
Although the name Alexander Isak has been threatening to steal the headlines in recent months, Arsenal could yet turn towards the cheaper Matheus Cunha. When signing a new contract at Wolverhampton Wanderers instead of completing a move to North London in January, the Brazilian made sure that a release clause worth £63m was included – allowing the Gunners to potentially swoop in.
Compared to Isak’s reported £120m price tag, Cunha could quickly turn into a bargain deal if he completes a move to The Emirates before solving Arteta’s biggest problem.
Newcastle United's AlexanderIsak
The Spaniard has been desperately searching for an attacking solution all season, even turning towards defensive midfielder Mikel Merino in the face of several injuries. It’s a problem which has all but ended their title hopes, with Liverpool sitting 12 points clear at the top of the Premier League, but one they simply must fix this summer.
If it is to be Cunha those in North London turn to, then Arteta could instantly benefit if Philippe Senderos’ verdict is anything to go by. The former defender believes that the forward carries a trait the Arsenal manager loves.
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In an exclusive chat with Football FanCast, Senderos said: “I know Matheus Cunha well. He was in Switzerland when he first came to Europe and then moved to Germany. So I’ve seen his progression over the years and he’s a great player.
“You don’t really know what’s gonna happen next with Matheus Cunha, he’s gonna do dribbling, the way he uses his body, the way he gets into positions is really really interesting and this fact that he’s not predictable is very very exciting. I think that’s what you want from a striker.
“Does he fit into this current Arsenal squad? I’m sure at Arsenal there is people who are more qualified to be able make this judgement and to see if it is a target for Arsenal. What I like about him is that he can play multiple positions as well.
“He can play on the wing or up front and I think that’s also something that would suit Arsenal in this current side because Mikel likes to have players who are flexible.”
"Great" Cunha could solve Arsenal's problems
With 15 goals in all competitions for a struggling Wolves side, Cunha is only just getting started in the Premier League. A top move undoubtedly beckons for the former Atletico Madrid man who looks destined to make his return to the big stage at long last. And Arsenal should make sure it’s Arteta’s side who reap the rewards for that return.
Next to the likes of Bukayo Saka and the emerging Ethan Nwaneri, Cunha could form the deadly attack that the Gunners have lacked all season. Then, and perhaps only then, will they be in position to finally end their wait for another Premier League title.
Cristian Romero claimed that he would 'love to play in La Liga' in future amid transfer links to Atletico Madrid in the summer.
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Romero drops another hint on joining Atletico
Would 'love to play in La Liga'
Spurs want to retain the defender's services
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Atletico Madrid has been closely linked with a move for Tottenham Hotspur defender Romero this summer, as the player had earlier hinted that he could leave the Premier League side at the end of the 2024-25 campaign.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
The centre-back has once again fuelled the rumour of his exit by claiming that he would 'love to play in La Liga' next. Romero started his career at Argentine club Belgrano before moving to Italy, where he played for clubs like Genoa, Juventus and Atalanta. He then moved to England in 2021 when he signed for Spurs.
WHAT CRISTIAN ROMERO SAID
Speaking to journalist , Romero said: "I'd love to play in La Liga. I'd love to play in La Liga. I like watching a lot of games, and I have a lot of teammates who play there in Spain, and we watch them. It's one of the leagues I'd like to play in."
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WHAT NEXT FOR CRISTIAN ROMERO?
While the 27-year-old defender seems determined to move away from Spurs, AS has claimed that the North London outfit will not make his exit easy as they are set to demand €70 million (£59m/$79m) in transfer fee, which Atletico are reluctant to meet.
Everton are preparing a fresh transfer approach to sign an “unbelievable” ace in the summer transfer window, according to a new report.
Everton make it five unbeaten in the league
The Toffees looked set for another draw on Saturday night, as they were being held 1-1 by Crystal Palace in the final minutes of the game. However, David Moyes has Carlos Alcaraz to thank, as he helped Everton pick up their fourth win in the league since his arrival as manager.
It also means Everton have taken four points from their last two games following their last-minute equaliser against Liverpool in midweek.
Move over Alcaraz: 7/10 Everton ace just played his best game of 24/25
David Moyes’ dream start to life back at the helm continued with an away win over Crystal Palace.
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Angus Sinclair
Feb 16, 2025
Everton have now climbed to 14th place, 13 points clear of the relegation zone, and while they are not officially safe, Moyes will know a lot needs to happen for them to be involved in the relegation fight from here.
After the win against Palace, Moyes labelled his start as Everton manager for a second time as a “dream”: “The players have reacted well. It has been a dream start coming in and winning so many games. Starting to look more healthy in the Premier League.
Everton manager David Moyes before Brighton match
“I hope it will be the case, ultimately, I am thinking we still have to get enough points. It has been a brilliant start, it was a good win for us today, really scrappy. They showed great resilience and won at a difficult place against a team who have been improving.”
Everton readying fresh offer for £20m ace
As they look set for another season in the top flight, the Toffees are turning their attention to possible incoming transfers, and according to the Sunday Mirror’s Darren Witcoop (as relayed by Goodison News), Everton are readying a new offer to sign Tom Fellows from West Brom in the summer.
The Toffees are looking to sign young, talented players in the summer and have not given up on signing Fellows, having been interested in the player in the winter, and it has been stated that Fellows is keen on a move to Merseyside, while Moyes is a “big fan” of the winger, who is reportedly rated at £20m by the Baggies.
The 21-year-old came through the ranks at The Hawthorns and broke into the first team on a regular basis last season, playing 33 times in the Championship.
Fellows has just matched his appearance record from last season and has two goals and 11 assists to his name, having notched just seven goal involvements last term.
His current level of output is also more impressive than the likes of Dwight McNeil, whom he may yet come to replace in the Toffees lineup, with the Everton midfielder only recording three Premier League assists all year, albeit at a higher level.
Tom Fellows’ 24/25 Championship stats
Appearances
33
Starts
27
Goals
2
xG
3.14
Shots per game
1.0
Big chances missed
6
Assists
11
xAG
5.14
Big chances created
10
Key passes
1.2
Fellows has been mightily impressive for the Baggies, so much so that teammate Karlan Grant labelled him an “unbelievable young player”.
“He’s an unbelievable young player. As soon as he does that step-over, I know the ball’s going to be arriving at the back stick and there’s going to be chances,” Grant told BBC Sport back in August.
Temwa Chawinga, who won the 2025 NWSL Golden Boot, became the fastest NWSL player to score 25 goals
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Chawinga bagged only goal in 1-0 win over Orlando
Fastest to score 25 goals in NWSL history – just 34 games
Exited game in 89th minute due to leg injury
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Temwa Chawinga Kansas City Current turned in another influential performance for KC Current, finding the net in the 52nd minute to seal a 1-0, top-of-the-table win over Orlando – and became the fastest NWSL player to score 25 career goals in the process.
The Malawian needed just 34 games to hit the mark. She now has five goals and one assist in nine appearances for the Current this season.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Chawinga continued her excellent form from last season, when she was named NWSL MVP in a golden-boot winning campaign. The Current, meanwhile, are top of the NWSL, having won seven out of their first nine games.
There might be room for concern, though, with the Malawian exiting Friday's game early due to an unspecified leg injury, which manager Vlatko Andonovski said she has been dealing with throughout the season.
WHAT VLATKO ANDONOVSKI SAID
The Current coach backed Chawinga to continue finding the net , saying after the match, "Happy for her, but also, I don't think Temwa's going to stop here. She's got a lot more to offer."
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WHAT NEXT FOR CHAWINGA?
The forward figures to be in the picture as Kansas City take on Chicago next weekend. Andovoski's side have a four-point cushion atop the NWSL.
It would be fair to say that, so far, this season has not gone to plan for Arsenal.
After coming painfully close to winning the Premier League in their two prior campaigns, Mikel Arteta’s side came into this year with the sole intention of going one step further, and when Rodri was ruled out in September, it looked like it might happen.
Unfortunately, in the months since, the Gunners have had to deal with a considerable number of injuries themselves, some questionable decisions from officials, and simply put, some lacklustre form from some of their star players.
Games
25
8
5
1
Wins
15
6
3
0
Draws
8
1
0
0
Losses
2
1
2
1
Goals For
51
16
11
0
Goals Against
22
3
7
0
However, it’s not all doom and gloom for the men in red and white, as a few players have stepped up this season, including one already being compared to some highly valued stars.
Arsenal's top performers compared to last season
While there have been several players who have taken a step back for Arsenal in terms of their attacking output this season, it’s worth starting things on a positive – well, sort of – as, prior to his injury in December, Bukayo Saka was on track to have the best campaign of his career.
Last year, the Hale End icon was utterly sublime for the Gunners, racking up a haul of 20 goals and 14 assists in just 47 appearances, totalling 3865 minutes, which comes to an average of a goal involvement every 1.38 games, or every 113.67 minutes.
Yet, as incredible as that was, the 23-year-old was doing even better this year, racking up nine goals and 13 assists in 24 appearances, totalling 1828 minutes, which means he was averaging a goal involvement every 1.09 games, or every 83.09 minutes, which is frankly incredible.
Appearances
47
24
Minutes
3865′
1828′
Goals
20
9
Assists
14
13
Goal Involvements per Match
0.72
0.91
Minutes per Goal Involvement
113.67′
83.09′
Unfortunately, while the Ealin-born superstar stepped up this season, many of his teammates, like Leandro Trossard, did not.
The Belgian international was a force of nature at points last year and, in 46 first-team appearances, totalling 2263 minutes, produced a brilliant tally of 17 goals and two assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.42 games, or every 119.10 minutes.
However, so far this season, the former Brighton & Hove Albion star has only been able to score five goals and produce seven assists in 37 appearances, totalling 2190 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 3.08 games, or every 182.5 minutes.
The good news is that while some of the senior players have let the side down this year, another gem has broken into the first team and is now being compared to some highly valued attackers on the continent.
Market Movers
The £85m Arsenal star in the making
When Saka injured his hamstring in December, and then Gabriel Jesus injured his ACL just a few weeks later, there was a genuine concern over who Arsenal would play off the right.
Fortunately, Ethan Nwaneri stepped up and, since returning from his own minor knock, has looked like a nailed-on starter.
The “incredible” 17-year-old phenomenon, as talent scout Jacek Kulig described him, was one of only a few bright sparks for the Gunners against Leicester City last week.
Ethan Nwaneri
It was his cross that led to Mikel Merino’s opener, and on top of that, he hit the woodwork twice and was a constant threat throughout the encounter.
It was the sort of performance that shouldn’t come as a shock anymore because, as the campaign has progressed and Arteta has continued to give him more game time, the Hale Ender has continuously and increasingly impressed.
For example, in 24 appearances this season, totalling just 790 minutes, the Enfield-born wonderkid has scored seven goals and provided one assist, which means he’s currently averaging a goal involvement every three games, or more impressively, every 98.75 minutes.
On top of this, he has also been likened to Jamie Gittins by FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one, and, in this instance, has concluded that the Borussia Dortmund star is the second most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Arsenal dynamo.
Non-Penalty Expected G+As
0.33
0.31
Assists
0.24
0.18
Shots on Target
1.42
1.20
Passing Accuracy
78.9%
76.1%
Expected Assists
0.24
0.22
Crosses into the Penalty Area
0.24
0.18
Goal-Creating Actions
0.47
0.60
Clearances
0.24
0.24
Carries into the Final Third
2.62
2.87
The best way to see where this comparison has come from is to look at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including, but not limited to, non-penalty expected goals plus assists, shots on target, expected assists, crosses into the penalty area, goal-creating actions and more, all per 90.
Now, being compared to one of the most exciting players in Germany with 15 goal involvements to his name this season is encouraging enough, but it also bodes well for the Arsenal ace’s future valuation.
For example, according to a recent report from the German publication Bild, as relayed by the BBC, Dortmund are demanding around £85m for their young star, so given their statistical similarities and the financial strength of the Gunners, who to say that the Hale End gem won’t be worth just as much in the near future.
Ultimately, things haven’t necessarily gone to plan for the North Londoners this season, but in Nwaneri, it looks like they have yet another superstar attacker in the making and one who could have a massive part to play for the rest of the campaign.
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The former Arsenal man is having a stellar campaign this year.
Having seen their winning streak come to an end on Saturday, could the transfer market provide Newcastle United supporters with a lift?
At the weekend, the Magpies were surprisingly beaten 4-1 by Bournemouth at St James’ Park, bringing to an end a nine-match winning streak, which had equalled the club’s top-flight record set in 1994.
Alexander Isak scores for Newcastle
Nevertheless, the Toon Army can’t be too disgruntled, considering their team currently occupy a Champions League spot, and are all but through to March’s EFL Cup Final.
Nevertheless, could Eddie Howe’s team make a high-profile edition to help them push on in the second half of the season?
Newcastle could sign French wonderkid
Reports from November by Mark Douglas of the i Paper suggested that Newcastle were continuing to monitor Olympique Lyonnais forward Rayan Cherki.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
This story has now accelerated further because, on Sunday, Florian Plettenberg and Patrick Berger of Sky Sports Deutschland reported that Lyon are now willing to listen to offers as low as €22m (£19m) for Cherki this month, with Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and “several top clubs from England… monitoring his situation”, adding that this would be “an absolute bargain”
That said, Lyon will surely not want to lose the 21-year-old, who still has 18 months left on his contract, but they are under enormous pressure to sell players this month.
That’s because, as noted by Colin Millar, Matt Slater and Matt Woosnam of the Athletic, les Gones have been provisionally relegated from Ligue 1 “following an audit of their finances”, informed by the DNCG they must “satisfactorily improve their financial situation before the end of this season”.
It is believed that Lyon must raise around €100m by the end of the season, or the seven-time French champions will be expelled from the top division.
Even before making his senior debut against Dijon in October 2019, Cherki was destined for greatness, with Tom Williams of BR Football noting he was tipped to “emulate Kylian Mbappé” from the age of 17.
What Rayan Cherki would bring to Newcastle
Still only 21-years-old, he’s made 163 appearances for Lyon, racking up 22 goals and 33 assists, scoring five times so far this season, having helped France win Olympic silver medals on home soil last summer.
Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout believes Cherki to be a “world-class talent”, adding that the Frenchman is amongst the “most enjoyable youngsters to watch in world football”.
Meantime, StatsBomb founder Ted Knutson describes Cherki as a “masterful dribbler” and a “precocious talent”, with Alex Barker of the Athletic going a step further and claiming he is “a future Ballon d’Or winner”.
Given all of that, fair to say he’d be quite the coup if Newcastle were to get their hands on him.
As noted by Louise Taylor of the Guardian, Newcastle have always had a strong “Francophone” influence, with Allan Saint-Maximin, Rémy Cabella, Loïc Rémy, Moussa Sissoko, Yohan Cabaye, Laurent Robert and David Ginola, to name but a few, among the many French players to have made their mark on Tyneside.
However, stylistically, the player Cherki most resembles could be Hatem Ben Arfa with their innate dribbling and ability to make something happen out of nothing certainly similar.
The maverick scored 14 goals and provided 15 assists during four years in the Northeast, so let’s see how he and Cherki compare.
Cherki (22/23–24/25) vs Ben Arfa (2011/12-2013/14)
Statistics
Cherki
Ben Arfa
Appearances
100
77
Minutes
5,740
4,523
Goals
13
12
Assists
23
11
Shots
173
124
Shots on target
60
42
Passes
2,932
1,631
Touches
3,608
2,858
Statistics courtesy of FBref.com & Premier League.com
As outlined in the table above, since the start of the 2022/23 seasons, Cherki’s statistics are universally better than Ben Arfa’s, when he was at his peak at Newcastle.
Across Europe’s top five leagues, out of 1,197 players who’ve created at least one chance this season, Cherki ranks third for expected assists per 90 this season, behind only Kevin De Bruyne and Ousmane Dembélé, hence why Statman Dave on Twitter believes he will be a “dream long-term” number ten for any club.
It’s not just from a creative standpoint where the players compare nicely, however, with their ability to take on players a standout quality. For context, only two players in Ligue 1 this term have successfully completed more dribbles per game (2.2) than Cherki. That’s notable because in 2012/13, no player registered more dribbles per match in the Premier League than Ben Arfa (4.2).
Beyond that, though, as beloved as Ben Arfa is on Tyneside, should Cherki arrive, he’d surely surpass his legacy.
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A new club are now believed to have made a move for a Rangers player with “blistering pace” in the January transfer window, according to a fresh update.
Rangers transfer news
One recent report has claimed that the Gers are on the verge of completing the signing of Dundee midfielder Lyall Cameron, in what would be an exciting long-term piece of business. The 22-year-old is a five-cap Scotland Under-21 international, and will no doubt hope to make the step up to the senior setup over time.
Rangers are also said to have been offered the chance to sign defender Timothy Fosu-Mensah, who is currently a free agent after leaving Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen at the end of last season.
Timothy Fosu-Mensah for Leverkusen.
Elsewhere, the Gers are reportedly in the mix to sign CSKA Moscow midfielder Sasa Zdjelar, with the 29-year-old someone who could add experience to Philippe Clement’s squad, as well as versatility, given his ability to thrive as a centre-back, too.
There are also exit rumours emerging at Ibrox, however, with Ridvan Yilmaz linked with a move to Besiktas, as they look to bring in a new left-back this month. Celtic’s Greg Taylor is seen as an option, but it looks as though the Rangers man is more likely to move there currently.
New club make contact for Rangers player
According to a new update from Rangers News, Ligue 1 side Nantes have now made an approach for Rangers winger Rabbi Matondo.
They are eyeing a loan deal until the end of the season, amid interest from Coventry City in the Championship in recent weeks.
Rangers winger Rabbi Matondo.
The £23,000-a-week Matondo has really struggled to make an impact at Rangers this season, starting just twice in the league and making only six appearances in the competition in total.
A couple of goals and assists apiece have come the Wales international’s way, in fairness, but there is sense in allowing him to leave in January, even though Kris Boyd has lauded his pace in the past, saying:
“We’ve not seen it enough in a Rangers jersey but you just kind of get the feeling that, the last few weeks… maybe because of Ryan Kent before, he always kind of thought ‘I’m not going to get in the team’, but with Ryan Kent moving on and there’s not really been anybody cemented that place at this moment at time, and there’s one thing with Rabbi Matondo – he has got blistering pace.”
Matondo is out of contract at Rangers at the end of next season, so a decision will need to be made regarding his future when the summer transfer window arrives later this year.
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The club will either have to think about offering him an extension or cash in on him, rather than losing him on a free transfer when his deal expires in 2026. Considering they are happy to loan him out, it would arguably be a surprise if a new contract was on their mind.
A £25m player who possesses attacking “flair” has a verbal agreement with Aston Villa over a move in the current transfer window, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.
Aston Villa transfer news
There are plenty of incoming and outgoing rumours surrounding the Villans currently, with Jaden Philogene linked with a move away from the club in January. The 22-year-old has only managed two starts in the Premier League so far this season and talks are underway over a possible exit in the coming weeks.
Dewa United wide man Taisei Marukawa is a reported new signing for Villa, giving Unai Emery additional depth in attacking areas for the second half of the Premier League season.
Elsewhere, Celtic winger Nicolas Kuhn is another player who has been backed to seal a move to Vila Park in the near future, having become one of the most dangerous players in the Scottish Premiership. He has nine goals and six assists in the league for the Hoops this season, with his ability to thrive on the right-hand side and cut inside so difficult to defend against.
One high-profile rumoured transfer target for the Villans is Paris Saint-Germain star Marco Asensio, who similarly adopts the same position as Kuhn. Whether the Midlands outfit are able to entice him to the club remains to be seen, though.
Aston Villa have verbal agreement with £25m ace
According to Jacobs on X, Aston Villa have a verbal agreement in place with Borussia Dortmund attacker Donyell Malen. However, the club are yet to strike a deal with the Bundesliga giants, who want £25m for the Dutch forward.
Malen has the potential to be such an eye-catching signing for Villa, so this update is hugely encouraging, as Emery searches for more attacking firepower in the final third.
The Dutchman has 59 goal contributions (39 goals and 20 assists) in 131 appearances for Dortmund, which outlines his end product, not to mention netting nine times in 41 caps for the Netherlands. Meanwhile, former Dortmund boss Marco Rose also once lauded his ability back in 2021, saying:
“We’ve always said that we’re convinced of his abilities, but it was always clear to us that he needs time to adapt. He has done that very well in the last few weeks. He’s playing with a lot more confidence, asking for the ball more, demonstrating his flair and chipping in in front of goal. Now we have to work to make sure he can keep it up.”
Borussia Dortmund
131
39
20
PSV Eindhoven
116
55
24
Arsenal Under-21s
24
7
2
PSV Eindhoven Under-21s
22
13
3
Arsenal Under-18s
21
11
4
At 25, Malen appears to be in a sweet spot in his career, possessing lots of experience but also being young enough to improve further, so Villa could be signing a player with another five or six years in him at the top level, at least.
Hosts handed first home defeat of season as promotion race begins to hot up
ECB Reporters Network13-Jul-2022Worcestershire 191 (Barnard 69, Roland-Jones 4-60) and 238 for 3 (Pollock 113) beat Middlesex 188 (Hollman 62, Helm 50, Leach 3-58) and 240 (Hollman 46, Yadav 44*, Pennington 3-54, Baker 3-62) by seven wicketsEd Pollock annihilated Middlesex’s bowling attack with a brilliant century as Worcestershire coasted to a resounding seven-wicket LV= Insurance County Championship success at Merchant Taylors’ School.Pollock was in ruthless mood, slamming 113 from just 77 balls to register his highest first-class score and ensure the visitors chased down what had appeared a tricky fourth-innings target of 238 with ease.The left-hander’s performance – which included seven sixes and 11 fours – ensured Worcestershire became the first visiting team to taste victory in a red-ball fixture at the Northwood venue.The result strengthened the Pears’ promotion chances, lifting them to within 11 points of Middlesex, who remain second in Division Two for now despite their first home defeat of the campaign.Charlie Morris made early inroads in the morning, uprooting Toby Roland-Jones’ off stump before Tom Helm squirted him into the hands of mid-on to leave Middlesex eight down and 185 ahead.But Umesh Yadav’s pugnacious approach quickly propelled his new side past 200, thrashing Dillon Pennington over long-off for six and handing out the same treatment to Josh Baker when Worcestershire turned to spin.The India international dominated a partnership of 41 with Luke Hollman, who fell just four short of his second half-century of the match when Baker persuaded him to reverse-sweep and find the point fielder.Yadav was left unbeaten on 44 from 41 balls when Middlesex’s innings finally came to a close at 240, with Tim Murtagh caught behind swishing at Joe Leach.If the target appeared awkward, Worcestershire’s openers looked completely unflustered by it, with Roland-Jones’ first two overs disappearing for 22 as Pollock and Jake Libby raced to 50 inside the first seven.Hollman and Yadav succeeded in stemming the flow of runs before lunch – but the batting side resumed the onslaught after the interval, with Pollock hooking Roland-Jones for six and slamming another boundary in the same over to reach his half-century.Helm eventually achieved the breakthrough, having Libby (31) caught behind attempting to cut, but the wicket failed to disrupt Pollock’s rhythm and he ruthlessly pulled the first ball of Murtagh’s second spell over the fence.The opener’s hundred arrived from just 67 deliveries, with Taylor Cornall – who contributed 12 to the second-wicket stand of 82 – required to do little more than stand and applaud his partner’s efforts.Pollock eventually perished, pulling Yadav down the throat of deep square leg with 71 still needed, but his job was long since done and it was left to Cornall (31 not out) and captain Brett D’Oliveira (33 not out) to steer Worcestershire over the line.