Liverpool

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An Everton related question was put to chief footballer writer Phil McNulty in Monday's Q&A.

@meolscop1978 on "X" asked: Am I delusional to be optimistic about Everton right now. New owners, first Premier League win, etc?

Phil answered: Steady!

What is beyond doubt is that last week was a long overdue better week for Everton, with news of Dan Friedkin's agreement to buy the club and that vital first league win.

Of all the options open to Everton, on the surface Friedkin's appears to be by far the best with the family's vast wealth and his track record of owning a club at AS Roma.

There are no guarantees but 777 always looked a very bad fit for so many reasons while John Textor had the not inconsiderable problem of his involvement at Crystal Palace.

A good week and a cause for guarded optimism. Now Everton need more like it.

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We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Wolves and Liverpool.

Here are some of your comments:

Wolves fans

Mark: We have one idea, play across the back and hope to make space, even when there's four minutes to play! Excuse has been the fixtures, so let's see against Brentford, lose that and Gary needs to go! Our club get what they ask for, selling our most attacking player and our regular centre-back and captain. Maybe Fosun's luck has run out - two summers of selling our best!

Bryce: Baffling selection and baffling subs again from the manager. Bellegarde did nothing and Forbs looked up for it, but the manager took off our target man Larsen and Hwang was non existent. Semedo again in a defensive shocker for their winner. Changes needed at the top or we are done by Xmas.

Allan: I did say that we wouldn’t win any of the first six games and it proved to be true. We now have to take the positives out of the performance which was good. We now have a few games coming up where we maybe can get results and pick up a few points.

Ed: O'Neil out-coached again. Those substitutions were criminal, wasted all of our opportunities to change the game. Lack of direction, no depth in defence and a coach looking more clueless by the game. We could be adrift before the fixtures 'ease.' Newsflash. it's the Premier League. It's never easy.

Liverpool fans

Robel: Important and fortunate three points. Mo Salah is one of the best Liverpool players of all time. However, coaches need to learn to take him off when he is having a bad game. Both he and Szobo weren't up to par. Szobo got replaced but Mo stayed and almost gave away a goal in the dying minutes. Coach has to be more ruthless if we're to be real contenders.

Lee: Liverpool made hard work of it but a win is a win and in these early days of the season it is a very important one. Saw some big difference in approach between Slot and Klopp here, Slot seemed happy, especially in the last 15, to allow Wolves to be on the ball. The press was much more conservative and targeted throughout.

Gerry: Liverpool didn't ever get going. Slow from the start and uncomfortable in control. We had only a few moments where I thought we could get something out of this match. Sloppy passing at times led to chances missed that should have won the game. We've only played lower placed teams at the moment. I'm not convinced Slot's style will beat the best!

Manchester City's former goalkeeper Joe Hart recently spent time with Liverpool's Alisson.

They discussed Arne Slot, trophies, moustaches and more. Take in some clips or listen to the interview in full here.

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Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite says it has been a "frustrating" few months being side lined through injury and not being able to help his team-mates out.

"It has been a long 15/16 weeks so it felt good to be back out there with the lads," he told BBC Radio Merseyside after the victory over Crystal Palace. "It is a massive win for us, especially after the spell we've been through. It was hard and frustrating not being on the pitch and helping the team out.

"I am not going to come back in [to the game] and feel myself straight away but I felt I grew into the game. I was meant to back sooner than I was but I had a second injury, so it has been frustrating.

"Hopefully this win will give us confidence and we can go on a bit of a run now."

Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds

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Virgil van Dijk speaks about Ibrahima Konate to BBC Radio Merseyside after Liverpool's win at Wolves: "I think we need everyone to be at their best. He is a fantastic player who still can be better. As you saw, he is important with the goal, he is defensively solid, a bit unlucky with the goal we conceded, but obviously the qualities he has are outstanding in my opinion. He is learning, growing, getting better and looking after himself much better in order to be ready every three days as that's what asked. And also we have a young player behind him in Jarrell, who is also doing well. We have to keep pushing each other and he is doing a good job."

On the response to defeat against Nottingham Forest: "I don't like to go back that far. I think we have a very good squad, a mix of experience and talent, players at a very good stage in their career. It's good to see the way we play and defend. Especially if you saw in the last 10 minutes today how many times Mo was heading balls away, that's the commitment we need from everyone."

Listen to Andy Robertson and Van Dijk speak to BBC Radio Merseyside here

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We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Everton and Crystal Palace.

Here are some of your comments:

Everton fans

George: First half lacked quality. Second half was the opposite - intensity, desire and cutting edge going forwards from Ndiaye, McNeil, Harrison, DCL. Back four looked much more solid. Unsung hero was Young - kept Eze very quiet.

Stuart: Having been to all of Everton’s Premier League home games this season I think the manager’s main problem has been leaving substitutions either too late or targeting the wrong players apart from Saturday where, for once, Dyche got it right by replacing Lindstrom with Harrison at half time - it turned the game.

Magnus: Scrappy win but still a win. One soft goal for each team and a great strike by McNeil made the difference. Hope this together with the Friedkin takeover creates stability and confidence so that the players can play at the level they have previously shown they are capable of.

Greg: First half was awful and Lindstrom in particular was abysmal. I would have sacked Dyche at half time. Second half was better, well slightly but we're still inviting teams on. It puts unnecessary pressure on Pickford and the back four. Tarkowski looked a lot more like his old self probably because Branthwaite was back to bring a bit of calmness.

Crystal Palace fans

Paul: In attack we have been simply abysmal. Mateta only ever scores when it is put on a plate for him, still he often misses. Nketiah shouldn't be playing right wing, he provides zero width and should be playing as a striker. Eze today worried me, zero confidence and flair. Never understand why we let Edouard go, he was the scapegoat yet a great player. Lacroix only positive.

Gavin: Disappointing result. I am becoming concerned about selections. Lerma is not a defender and with Chalobah on bench, it did not make sense. Also Nketiah is a number nine - playing him out of position does not help. Kamada totally at sea. Glasner needs to get a grip of this situation.

Christopher: Very poor. I am not sure Glasner and I were watching the same game. Lack of ideas, poor defending and awful at defending set pieces - this is the story of our season so far. Liverpool next and I am very concerned that we’ll be in the bottom three this time next week - another tough season ahead.

Bernard: Glasner will be gone if we don't beat Liverpool. Spent money and he has made us worse. Flattered to deceive at the end of last season as he had nothing to lose. We were heading down anyway so he gained respect for those efforts. Seems lost and doesn't know his best team. Poor performances all round.

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Former winger Theo Walcott believes confidence is growing at Everton and Dwight McNeil will be key in keeping the Toffees in the Premier League.

"It's his third season now at Everton and he's starting to now grow into this role and the responsibility," Walcott said on Match of the Day. "He likes to commit players - he puts himself in good areas of the field where he creates space.

"The other side of it which I like is he doesn't just stay still, he likes to make movement in behind, which is one thing I always used to do."

Despite Saturday's win at home to Crystal Palace being their first victory in the Premier League this season, Walcott believes "confidence is growing now".

But, he also believes McNeil will be vital to them this season, stating: "They are going to have to get his goals to stay up because they are not a team that score a lot."

Catch up on Match of the Day on BBC iPlayer

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Former Premier League defender Micah Richards believes Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konate has "so much potential" and believes the Frenchman could become "top class".

Speaking on Match of the Day, Richards said: "He's got all the tools to be a top class centre half. It's always been Van Dijk and another, Quansah started the season and Arne Slot brought Konate on at half-time.

"His positioning has got a lot better, you see the size of him, the frame of him. In the air he's really good."

Speaking about Konate's goal against Wolves, Richards said: "This is what he can do, when he's given the licence to go forward and win the header."

But, he does believe there are some improvements that the 25-year-old needs to make before fulfilling his potential, such as "communication" and "being the leader at the back".

"For Wolves' goal there was a communication error between Alisson and him, just kick it out don't worry about it - safety should always be first," said Richards.

"I watched him a lot at Leipzig - there's so much potential.

"There's all these things he's tremendous at - last ditch tackles he can do that, he can get back in, pace - no problem at all. To go to the next level now if he can just concentrate a little bit more and be a bit more assured on the ball."

Catch up on Match of the Day on BBC iPlayer

Bayern Munich are looking out for developments on Liverpool's 31-year-old goalkeeper Alisson Becker, who has been linked with a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia. (Sun), external

Liverpool are one of several Premier League clubs monitoring the situation of 21-year-old Sevilla winger Juanlu Sanchez. (Caught Offside), external

The Reds are not concerned by new claims that 32-year-old Mohamed Salah has already agreed to join a Saudi Arabian club when his contract expires next summer. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer news? Read Monday's full gossip column

Highlights and analysis from Saturday's seven Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Arsenal 4-2 Leicester

• Wolves 1-2 Liverpool