Liverpool’s Divock Origi has to wait for his moments, but when given a chance he is often the difference maker, as he showed again by coming off the bench to inspire his side to victory over Everton on Sunday.
Telling contributions in fleeting appearances have been Origi’s forte throughout his time at Liverpool.
His 95th-minute winner against Everton in 2018 had coach Juergen Klopp sprinting across the pitch in celebration, while he scored a game-clinching second in the 2019 UEFA Champions League final, as well as a double in Liverpool’s famous 4-0 win over Barcelona that season.
Photo: EPA-EFE
He has saved his best for Liverpool’s bitter rivals Everton, with his late header after coming off the bench at Anfield on Sunday putting the seal on his team’s 2-0 win in a hard-fought Merseyside derby.
It was the 27-year-old’s sixth career goal against Everton, at least twice as many as he has managed against any other opponent in his Liverpool career, while he has now scored 11 goals as a substitute in the Premier League, the outright most by a Liverpool player.
“We are happy with the impact [from substitutes] all season,” Klopp said. “They come on with the right mindset when they come on. Luis [Diaz] and Divock were involved in the goals and that helps in tight football games.”
“We did not show up there in the first half. We had a lot of possession, the most of a Premier League game for us [more than 86 percent], but we changed things in the second half,” Klopp said. “He [Origi] is a legend on and off the pitch — a fantastic footballer, a world-class striker and is our best finisher. Everyone would say the same. You see this in training. It is a really hard decision to make to leave him out. Everyone loves Divock here.”
Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying on Saturday crashed out of the BWF All England Open Badminton Championships in Birmingham, with South Korea’s Se Young-an denying the world No. 3 Tai a chance at a fourth All England title. In a replay of their semi-final showdown last year, the world No. 2 Se again beat Tai, saving four match points in a thrilling deciding game to prevail 17-21, 21-19, 24-22. Tai won the women’s singles title in Birmingham in 2017, 2018 and 2020. In the three times the two superstars faced each other prior to Saturday, Tai, 22, had only come out on top once, when
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LAST ONE STANDING: The world No. 3 was the only Taiwanese left in the tournament, while there were upsets in the men’s singles and the women’s doubles Taiwanese badminton ace Tai Tzu-ying on Thursday defeated Thailand’s Busanan Ongbamrungphan 21-19, 21-12 to reach the quarter-finals of the BWF All England Open in Birmingham. Tai, the world No. 3, needed only 40 minutes to close out the round-of-16 matchup at the Utilita Arena. In the opening game, the Taiwanese shuttler established an early 10-5 cushion, before an aggressive Ongbamrungphan fought her way back into the tie, winning nine straight points to take a 10-14 lead. The pair traded the lead to bring the scores to 18-19, but Tai held her nerve to close out the first game. After a 2-2 tie early in
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