Emi Martinez’s blunder at Anfield gifted Liverpool the lead, and it’s not his first shaky performance this season for Aston Villa.

Considering his recent form, one might speculate that the World Cup-winning goalkeeper is struggling to find his footing.

This summer, Martinez was heavily linked with a move to Manchester United. Sources reveal that the Argentine was almost certain he would be heading to Old Trafford until the club unexpectedly opted for Senne Lammens at the last minute.

Up until the final decision, Martinez was reportedly sharing with friends his belief that a move to United was imminent, only to be left disappointed.

Ultimately, United secured Lammens on September 1 for £18 million, a decision they likely view as prudent, while Martinez comes to terms with the collapse of what he thought was a certain transfer.

Emiliano Martinez has looked unsettled since his dream move to Man United broken down 

VIRGIL STILL MISSING THE POINT

It was a welcome win for Liverpool and one they very much deserved after Arne Slot reverted back to the core of the team who won the Premier League for him last season.

Captain Virgil van Dijk seemed buoyed enough by it to take aim at Wayne Rooney, who had recently criticised his leadership.

‘I didn’t hear him say that last year,’ said Van Dijk.

But that’s the point, Virgil. He didn’t say it last year because there was nothing to see last year.

Certainly if Rooney saw what I saw as Liverpool lost to Manchester United recently – finger pointing and criticising team-mates – then his comments were more than justified. Indeed the issue was highlighted in this very column.

Van Dijk has been, and still is, a great captain for Liverpool but one of the problems with greatness is that it isn’t allowed a day off.

Virgil van Dijk is wrong to hit out at Wayne Rooney – his leadership has been lacking recently

TIME TO END A MODERN CURSE

A ridiculous bit of goal mouth wrestling between Alexis MacAllister and Amadou Onana in the same game saw the Liverpool player go down after being grabbed round the throat by his opponent. Onana was booked by referee Stuart Attwell but still the argy-bargy went on. How tedious.

All the grappling and pushing that goes on as players await the delivery of a set piece is a modern blight on our game so here’s a solution.

Don’t just give cards but give fouls too. If an attacker barges over a defender, give a free-kick. If it’s the other way round, award a penalty. The ball doesn’t have to be in play for a foul to be committed. It’s time for referees to make a stand as it’s a problem that’s getting worse.

Amadou Onana’s throat-grab on Alexis Mac Allister was ridiculous and he should have been punished 

SHEARER WRONG ON FOREST ROW 

In the Match of the Day studio, meanwhile, Alan Shearer’s take on the ‘ball out of play controversy’ at Nottingham Forest was strange.

‘We don’t need VAR for that, we just need the officials to stop guessing,’ said the BBC pundit.

But all referees and assistants can do when judging whether a ball is over a small white line is guess. They can never be sure. How can they be?

So this is exactly when we DO need VAR. Much of what Stockley Park are asked to get involved in is subjective and pointless. Issues over fouls and weight of contact etc.

But the basics of the game – such as whether a ball is still in the field of play – are crying out for the definitive answers technology can provide.

Forest were badly let down as they drew with Manchester United and manager Sean Dyche was right to be annoyed.

Alan Shearer is wrong about VAR – we DO need it to tell when the ball is out of play

HAS SPENCE RUINED ENGLAND DREAM?

Great to see MOTD tackle the late-breaking story of Djed Spence and Micky van de Ven ignoring their manager Thomas Frank’s request to acknowledge the crowd after Tottenham’s dismal home defeat to Chelsea on Saturday evening. It’s another example of how the BEEB are trying to move with the times.

In terms of the incident itself, both players have much to answer for and Spence in particular may have cause to regret his show of petulance and dissent.

The 25-year-old has only just forced his way into the England squad and was being watched from high in the stands by his national coach Thomas Tuchel in North London.

Spence has a reputation in some quarters (speak to people in Middlesbrough) for having a high opinion of himself while Tuchel has made it clear recently that he wants his World Cup squad to be about togetherness and common cause in America next summer.

Spence doesn’t have long to wait to see if he has blotted his England copybook. There is a squad announcement on Friday.

Djed Spence was being watched by Thomas Tuchel snubbed Thomas Frank’s handshake and may just be punished for his petulance

GORDON HAS TO GO 

With England in mind, we know the big decisions Tuchel has to make.

Jude Bellingham – left out last time – is in form and will surely be included. Phil Foden had a good game in a central position as Manchester City beat Bournemouth on Sunday and must have a decent shout too.

But what of those players in favour who are clearly and obviously out of nick? Will Tuchel acknowledge this on Friday or are we heading back to the days of Gareth Southgate who had a habit of picking players who had done well for him in the past?

Tuchel can’t keep picking the same squad on repeat between now and next summer. With that in mind, nobody can be more vulnerable than Anthony Gordon. The Newcastle winger was one of those hooked at half-time at West Ham and is now without a goal or assist for his club in 19 league games.

Anthony Gordon’s place in the England squad is at risk amid a difficult spell in the club game

Meanwhile, Elliot Anderson’s star contineus to rise and he could be a poster boy for England 

ENGLAND’S NEW POSTER BOY

One player whose star continues to rise with club and country is Gordon’s former Newcastle team-mate Elliot Anderson. The Forest midfielder is the man chosen to adorn much of the FA promo material ahead of this month’s games against Serbia and Albania.

HOW IRAOLA GOT IT ALL WRONG WITH HAALAND

As we have said, Foden had a decent game for City as they beat Bournemouth but, as often is the case, everybody was left in the shade thrown by the remarkable Erling Haaland.

His manager Pep Guardiola was stretching things rather when he compared the Norwegian to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Those two are once-in-a-lifetime talents the like of which we may never see again. Haaland is not quite that.

Equally, teams have to find a better way of playing against him than Bournemouth did at the Etihad. Cherries manager Andoni Iraola has been rightly praised for his work over the last 18 months but his team’s high line played right in to Haaland’s hands yesterday.

Bournemouth captain David Brooks said Haaland was ‘impossible’ to prepare for but there has to be a better way than waiting for a ball over the top and then hoping to win a foot race against a heavyweight sprinter.

*Stat of the day from Radio 5 Live’s Ian Dennis on X: ‘I calculate that is a CENTURY of goals from Erling Haaland off his left foot alone for #MCFC. One hundred off his left, 19 goals from his head and 21 off his right foot. The goal against Chelsea two years is classed as “other” as it was off his backside.’

Andoni Iraola got his tactics all wrong against Erling Haaland. Why did he play a high line? 

MODERN CONTRACTS JUST FOR SHOW 

Another weekend, another sacking. Indeed Vitor Pereira’s dismissal by Wolves – followed by Will Still’s departure from Southampton – means that 52 of the 92 clubs in the English top four divisions have now changed manager at least once in the last year.

Pereira signed a new contract in September just as his predecessor Gary O’Neill had shortly before was sacked last December. But the significance of these things is often overhyped.

Contracts are often used by clubs to give themselves security rather than the other way round. As for pay-offs, it’s now normal for a contract to contain a set figure rather than the remaining years of a contract being ‘paid up’ as used to be the case.

For example, I am told reliably that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was given a new contract at Manchester United in July 2021 just to ‘shut the media up’ as there had been speculation about his future. Solskjaer signed on the dotted line until 2024 – and was sacked four months later.

Vitor Pereira’s Wolves sacking proves that contracts are just for show – he had recently signed a deal until 2028

Arsenal’s second goal against Burnley was a thing of beauty and should shut up their critics

BEAUTIFUL ARSENAL – AT LAST 

And finally a goal from Arsenal to shut everybody up.

Their second at Turf Moor to down Burnley was a thing of beauty, particularly the cross field pass from Viktor Gyokeres.

It all started with a Burnley long throw, though. Does that mean it still counts as a set piece goal????