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West Ham United fell to yet another defeat last night, losing 5-1 to Arne Slot’s Liverpool in the Carabao Cup third round.

Goals from Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota secured the win for the Reds after Jarrell Quansah’s own goal put Julen Lopetegui’s side ahead after just 21 minutes.

The Hammers’ defensive frailty was once again evident in the meeting at Anfield, with the five goals taking the club’s goals against tally to 14 in their opening seven outings – averaging two goals conceded per game.

It’s the second season in a row the Hammers have fallen to a 5-1 defeat in the Carabao Cup against the Reds, with the same soft underbelly on display once more, despite the heavy investment from the hierarchy this summer.

One player produced a dismal display, summing up the club’s woeful start to the 2024/25 campaign.

Edson Alvarez’s stats against Liverpool

Mexican midfielder Edson Alvarez had an evening to forget on Merseyside last night, producing a woeful performance during the heavy defeat – continuing his below-par start to life under Lopetegui.

The 26-year-old was sent off in the 76th minute after picking up two yellow cards, with the second an idiotic challenge after being booked just a few minutes prior.

However, even before his sending-off, he failed to make an impact on the encounter, losing ten duels, the most of any player on the field.

Alvarez also lost possession ten times, whilst committing five fouls and only completing 19 passes – topping off his shocking display at Anfield.

However, despite his display, one other Hammers player produced a similarly disappointing display and failed to take advantage of his rare start under Lopetegui.

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Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The player who was just as poor as Alvarez

Striker Danny Ings made his first start since April during last night’s defeat but failed to take advantage of the opportunity handed to him by the Spaniard.

The Englishman featured for an hour before being replaced by Michail Antonio, an understandable substitution given his lack of impact on the encounter up until his withdrawal.

The 32-year-old could only muster 14 touches during his 60-minute display – a tally fewer than goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski who registered 50 – losing possession seven times – meaning every two times he touched the ball he gifted the ball back to the opposition.

He also only completed four passes – an average of one every 15 minutes – often failing to impose himself on the game and provide that cutting edge at the top end of the pitch.

However, he did find himself with an opportunity in front of goal, but strayed offside before slotting the ball home, with the game potentially being completely different had he held his run beyond the last defender.

Ings was subsequently handed a 4/10 rating by the Daily Mail’s James Sharpe following the defeat – further highlighting his lack of impact for the East London outfit.

Given his dismal showing, Lopetegui should look to drop the striker ahead of the weekend’s trip to face Brentford as the Hammers still look to bounce back from the embarrassing showing at Anfield.

His side will be looking to claim their first win in five as they aim to finally kickstart their Premier League season against Thomas Frank’s side.

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This Hammers talent is approaching the end of the line…

By
Angus Sinclair

Sep 24, 2024

Manchester United have received a fresh injury blow as the October international break gets underway, according to a recent update.

This is an important two weeks for the Red Devils, as the future of Erik ten Hag is said to be discussed this week, with options still open as to whether he leaves or remains the manager of the Premier League side. The Dutchman will be hoping he remains in the hot seat and his international players return injury-free after the break.

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By
Brett Worthington

Oct 7, 2024

Man Utd players away on international duty

As with most Premier League clubs, Man United have got a lot of first-team players leaving the club to go and represent their countries across the globe. The Red Devils have players representing teams in Europe, South America, and Africa over the next 10 days or so.

United have James Scanlon representing Gibraltar, looking to add to his goal from that last international break. Meanwhile, they have players such as Victor Lindelof and Altay Bayindir, who will be hoping to represent Sweden and Turkey, respectively.

Matthijs de Ligt and Joshua Zirkzee will be looking to add to their caps for the Netherlands as they face a game against Germany. Christian Eriksen, Rasmus Hojlund, Diogo Dalot, and Bruno Fernandes will all be looking to represent Denmark and Portugal in their upcoming games. United also have Lisandro Martínez, Andre Onana, and Amad Diallo away on international duty, as they look to add to their caps for Argentina, Cameroon, and Ivory Coast, respectively.

The Red Devils could have seen more players away on international duty, as three players were meant to be away with their countries but missed out through injury.

Man Utd receive fresh injury concern alongside Garnacho and Mainoo

Manchester United have received an injury blow, as defender Noussair Mazraoui has withdrawn from the Morocco national team due to injury, as reported by Fabrizio Romano. The 26-year-old has played 29 times for his country, scoring two goals, but he is unable to represent Morocco in this October international break.

Mazraoui has played in every single league game for the Red Devils this season after joining the club from Bayern Munich in the summer. The Moroccan started the game against Aston Villa on Sunday but had to be withdrawn at halftime and replaced by Lindelof. The injury is yet to be known, and how long he will be out for is also unknown.

Mazraoui, who is estimated to be on a weekly wage of £135,000, is the third Man Utd player to drop out of international duty already. Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo have also pulled out from representing Argentina and England with respective injury issues.

Garnacho has been managing a knee issue over the past week and confirmed on Instagram that he wouldn’t be travelling to South America to play for Argentina. Meanwhile, Mainoo was United’s only representative in the England squad, but he has also pulled out after managing an issue in the past week, an issue that saw him miss the recent game against Porto.

Paul Pogba trains hard as he eyes return from doping ban amid speculations over his next destination.

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• Pogba training hard
• Will return to action in March
• Has been linked with a move to Man Utd and Marseille

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Pogba has been a free agent since last year, when Juventus mutually terminated his contract following a doping ban. The suspension was reduced to 18 months from four years, and the player is all set to return to action in March. Ahead of his comeback, the French midfield star is sweating it out on the training pitch, and he recently shared a video of himself training alone.

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• WATCH THE CLIP

  In the caption of his Instagram post, the player wrote: "That feels good."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The World Cup-winning France star has been linked with a move to several clubs, including MLS and Saudi Pro League teams. He has also been tipped to link up with Mason Greenwood at Marseille. Former Manchester United forward Louis Saha has also urged the Red Devils to bring back the 31-year-old for a third spell at Old Trafford.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR PAUL POGBA?

  Brazil icon Neymar has expressed his desire to play alongside Pogba and Sergio Ramos at Santos after completing his move back to his boyhood club. It remains to be seen where the Frenchman eventually ends up.

As if Crystal Palace’s task of defeating Arne Slot’s table-topping Liverpool side wasn’t difficult enough, one of Oliver Glasner’s key men is now a serious doubt to feature in the Eagles’ latest blow.

Crystal Palace injury news

Already without the likes of Matheus Franca and Cheick Doucoure this weekend and beyond, the last thing that Crystal Palace needed was another injury blow. The South London side square off against Liverpool in pursuit of their first Premier League victory of the season, of course, after suffering defeat against fellow strugglers Everton last time out.

It’s been a miserable run and one that Glasner must turn around in swift fashion if he is to return the faith that Palace showed in him by reinvesting the Michael Olise money into the likes of Eddie Nketiah and Maxence Lacroix. That said, injuries have far from helped the former Eintracht Frankfurt boss, who has suffered yet another blow ahead of the Liverpool game.

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Palace nearly ended up with PL flop, but got Mateta instead

By
Connor Holden

Oct 3, 2024

As confirmed by Glasner and relayed by Ed Aarons, Adam Wharton is now likely to miss the Liverpool game after suffering a groin injury. The Palace manager even revealed that the Eagles are currently in talks with England over pulling their midfielder out of U21s duty in the October international break.

One of the main men behind Palace’s impressive form when Glasner first arrived last season, which included a 1-0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield, there’s no doubt that Wharton will be quite the miss.

"Wise" Wharton a big miss for Crystal Palace

Whilst his inability to replicate last season’s form has played a part in Palace’s struggles so far this season, Wharton arguably holds the key to unlocking Premier League victory at last for the Eagles. On form, the £35k-per-week star helped them to a win at Anfield and progression away from the relegation zone to eventually compete nearer the top-half once again. So, get him back to that form, and Glasner’s side should excel once again.

Those at Selhurst Park are well aware of the midfielder’s quality too, with teammate Eberechi Eze saying via BBC Sport last season: “Playing with him at Palace, I’ve got used to seeing the way he plays and understanding him. He’s very calm, composed, and a joy to play with.

“For someone so young, he’s very mature and very wise. When you speak to him, it feels like you’re speaking to someone older than you, that’s the type of person he is. He’s an incredible player.”

The hope will now be that, if he misses the Liverpool game, then Wharton will skip England duty and complete a swift return to action after the international break for Crystal Palace.

Rasmus Hojlund is reportedly fighting to save his Manchester United career as the striker is on a 'trial' between now and the end of the season.

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• Hojlund joined Man Utd for £72m
• Striker may be sold amid Serie A links
• On 'trial' until end of the season

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Hojlund swapped Atalanta for United for a fee worth up to £72 million ($89.2m/€86m) in August 2023 but he has not lived up to that fee so far. According to, the 21-year-old will effectively find himself on 'trial' for the remainder of 2024-25 after struggling for goals this season. If he doesn't perform, the young forward could be sold.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The report adds that head coach Ruben Amorim has been 'far from convinced' by the Danish international and this news has caught the attention of Napoli and Juventus. If United did sell, they would have to take a 'significant hit' on what they paid Atalanta.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Since moving to Old Trafford, Hojlund has scored 23 goals and bagged three assists in 72 appearances in all competitions. This season he has just two goals in 18 Premier League games, although he would argue that the service to him simply hasn't been good enough.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Hojlund will hope to find his finishing touch when United host Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Sunday.

Sunday's 1-0 loss at Home Park was humiliating for the Reds, but the Dutchman's decision to rest his star men was the correct call

The post-match narrative at Plymouth was entirely predictable. As soon as the full-time whistle blew at Home Park, Arne Slot stood accused of disrespecting the FA Cup.

The argument was that the Dutchman had made the first serious misstep since taking charge of Liverpool last summer by making 10 changes to the side that had routed Tottenham on Thursday to seal a place in the Carabao Cup final.

Was Slot's selection the key contributing factor to one of the biggest shocks in FA Cup history, in terms of form, league position and disparity in wealth? Absolutely. But the idea that he was wrong to ring the changes for what's long since become a second-tier tournament for top teams was utterly ludicrous – especially with Liverpool perfectly placed to win far more prestigious prizes this season.

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  'Hardly created anything at all'

  For starters, Slot was entirely entitled to expect the team he picked to face Plymouth Argyle to win the game. There were seven full internationals in the starting line-up and it was the majority of those players that let Liverpool down – not youngsters such as Trey Nyoni and James McConnell.

  "Their goalkeeper made one or two good saves in the end," Slot said afterwards, "but we hardly created anything at all." And that was utterly unforgivable, given the visitors fielded a front three of Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and Federico Chiesa – all of whom were atrocious on the day.

  It's also very fair to say that neither Harvey Elliott nor Jarell Quansah advanced their respective causes for more regular game time with error-strewn displays, while the early loss of Joe Gomez to injury was extremely worrying as Liverpool are not exactly well stock in the centre of defence.

  As Slot acknowledged, the one positive was that the players kept fighting until the end, but the overall performance was dismal and the Reds could have no complaints about being dumped out of the FA Cup by the team presently propping up the Championship – which was obviously an embarrassment for the club and a major disappointment for those that had been getting giddy about another quadruple bid.

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  Burned by quadruple bid before

  However, the strain of still competing on four fronts going into the spring has twice taken a heavy toll on Liverpool, in 2022 and 2024, when they ended up frustratingly failing to win either of their two primary targets: the Premier League and the Champions League. Mental and physical fatigue were the main reasons why.

  Even just looking at last season alone, former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp admitted that the shock FA Cup quarter-final loss to struggling rivals Manchester United was the first time he had seen his team "struggling" and losing a tie that they really should have won felt like a "catastrophe" from which they never really recovered.

  Sunday's exit was undoubtedly even more unexpected than that loss at Old Trafford, but it's highly unlikely to have anything like the same impact on the squad. On the contrary, it should actually prove a blessing in disguise.

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  Game every three-to-four days

  Liverpool were meant to be rewarded with two free midweeks in February after progressing directly to the last 16 of the Champions League by finishing top of the league-phase table. However, they must play Everton in a massive Merseyside derby on Wednesday – the last ever at Goodison Park – because the original game on December 7 had to be postponed because of adverse weather conditions caused by Storm Darragh.

  Even more worryingly, Liverpool's progression to the Carabao Cup final on March 16 has resulted in their tricky trip to Aston Villa being brought forward to Wednesday week – just four days before the massive meeting with Manchester City at the Etihad. Three days after taking on Pep Guardiola's men, the Reds round out the month with another tough league match, against top-four hopefuls Newcastle at Anfield.

  All of sudden, then, February has become fraught with danger for Slot and his title-chasing team, making his decision to rotate against Plymouth a non-brainer – for two reasons.

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  Reserves 'need some rhythm'

  As Slot pointed out, the mere fact that so many of Liverpool's second string struggled so badly against Plymouth underlined just how badly they required a run-out.

  "These players need some rhythm as well," the former Feyenoord coach pointed out. "For them to be ready in the upcoming months, they need game time, and you saw today that some of these players really need games like this to be ready for the last three months of the season."

  Slot is spot on. Liverpool's squad is strong, but it's going to be pushed to the limit in the coming months and the likes of Mohamed Salah can't always be relied upon to prove decisive. Other players are going to have to step up at certain moments and they simply have to be match sharp in order to do so.

Chelsea skidded into the international break with a run of five wins on the spin halted at home by Nottingham Forest.

The early parts of the season suggest it was a wise decision from the club’s hierarchy to part company with Mauricio Pochettino at the back end of last term and bring in Enzo Maresca instead.

He has done a fine job since arriving from Leicester, turning Chelsea from the chaotic mess that they were into genuine top four contenders.

Are we surprised? Kind of. With a bloated squad and a lack of direction, who knew what was going to happen to the Blues this season? Yet, with the squad they do have we shouldn’t be overly shocked. It’s a cracking selection of players and most of them have hit the ground running swiftly in 2024/25.

So, how did some of those star players get on while in action for their countries over the break?

Chelsea during the October international break

It’s been a bit of a whirlwind week and a half for those of an England persuasion with Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke and Levi Colwill now fresh in the knowledge that former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel will replace interim manager Lee Carsley in 2025.

Palmer will no doubt be an imperative part of that side having starred now for well over a year in Chelsea colours. He’s come flying out of the traps this term too, scoring six goals in as many games, although four of those did come in the romp over Brighton.

Still, the former Manchester City ace enjoyed a fine break. Although he didn’t score or register an assist, he was named England Player of the Year. Not bad work at all, Cole.

His England colleague, Colwill, was unfortunately left out for the win in Finland but he was part of the backline that lost so dramatically to Greece last week.

Elsewhere, there was a goal for Christopher Nkunku in France colours against Israel as Les Bleus won 4-1.

For Portugal, Joao Felix was benched in their 3-1 win over Poland and then only appeared as a second-half substitute for the final two minutes in their 0-0 draw with Scotland. International colleague Pedro Neto played no part in that match but did start against the Polish, creating one key pass and completing all three of his dribble attempts.

England Player of the Year: 4 players who deserved it more than Cole Palmer

Cole Palmer has been voted England Player of the Year, but were some of his teammates robbed?

1

By
Barney Lane

Oct 11, 2024

Away from Europe, Enzo Fernandez looked in pretty good touch for a rampant Argentina…

Enzo Fernandez's performances for Argentina

Over the summer Argentina were victorious in the Copa America and with the great Lionel Messi in tow, they have continued their fine form.

Lionel Scaloni’s men were pegged back by Venezuela, drawing 1-1, but they were rampant against Bolivia in the early hours of Wednesday morning, winning 6-0.

Messi scored a hat-trick, of course, he did, while another goalscorer was former Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez, now of Atletico Madrid.

Fernandez may not have scored but he was phenomenal in that win over the Bolivians. GOAL notably handed him an 8/10 match rating, writing: ‘Thought he earned an assist early in the first half, but VAR called Otamendi’s header back. Otherwise, ran the game in the centre of the pitch in calm and composed fashion.’

The numbers help paint the picture of just how good the Chelsea midfielder was.

During the course of the contest, the 23-year-old World Cup winner was exquisite, registering a mammoth 126 touches and completing 108 of his 113 passes. For context, no player on the field registered higher numbers in either category.

Furthermore, Fernandez won three of his six duels and completed seven of his nine long passes, spraying the ball about in sublime fashion.

The Argentine perhaps hasn’t quite been at his best in Chelsea colours this term but this was a reminder of his qualities.

Maresca will no doubt be hoping for more of the same after the break.

Chelsea must regret selling £20m star who's now worth more than Madueke

Chelsea must regret £20m sale who’s now worth more than Madueke.

By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 16, 2024

Ashley Young borrowed words from Jose Mourinho's famous quote while reacting to overturned penalty decision against Manchester United.

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• Young quotes Mourinho on X
• Reacted to overturned last-minute penalty
• Everton and Man Utd played out a 2-2 draw

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The former United star was shoved by Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt inside the penalty box in the 93rd minute after Andre Onana saved a shot from Idrissa Gueye. The on-field referee initially awarded Everton a spot-kick but after a thorough VAR check, the decision was overturned. The Toffees eventually settled for a 2-2 draw despite taking a two-goal lead in the first half.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  After the game, Young took to social media to share his reaction to the incident as he used former Red Devils boss Jose Mourinho's quote from 11 years ago. While answering a media question back in 2014, after Chelsea's defeat to Aston Villa in the Premier League, the then-Blues boss had famously told Sky Sports: "I prefer not to speak. If I speak, I am in big trouble. In big trouble. And I don’t want to be in big trouble.”

• WHAT ASHLEY YOUNG SAID

  Taking to X, the former England international wrote: "A point’s a point, onwards and upwards! Decisions, Angles “I prefer not to speak, if I speak I am in big trouble“ UTFT."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR EVERTON?

  The Merseyside club, who are on a roll in the Premier League since David Moyes returned to Goodison Park, will be next seen in action on Wednesday as they take on Brentford in a league clash.

All signs apparently point towards an illustrious player joining Arsenal, with his club scheduling talks over a new contract in an attempt to keep their star.

Arsenal's rumoured transfer plans for 2025

The Gunners’ succession of injury worries during the early stages of this season have perhaps emphasised the need for back-up options in key areas of the squad.

Arsenal internally debating deal for "exciting" ace who Arteta's identified

He’s “being eyed” by the Spaniard.

By
Emilio Galantini

Oct 25, 2024

Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, Mikel Merino, Takhehiro Tomiyasu, Gabriel Jesus, Ben White, Jurrien Timber, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Kai Havertz, Kieran Tierney and Riccardo Calafiori have all suffered injuries at various points, with manager Mikel Arteta handed real selection headaches lately.

There are a few major doubts ahead of their blockbuster Premier League clash at home to title rivals Liverpool this weekend, including the likes of Saka and Calafiori, while it remains to be seen when club captain Odegaard will be available for selection following his ankle ligament injury last month.

In light of these concerns, it is believed by some that Arsenal could take to the transfer market in an attempt to sign alternatives to star players. Sporting director Edu Gaspar and the Gunners recruitment team reportedly want a rotational option who can come in for Saka, with Arsenal eyeing a January move for Bryan Mbeumo after his excellent start to the season for Brentford.

Meanwhile, Calafiori’s injury and William Saliba’s red card, not to mention another problem for Tomiyasu, has exposed Arsenal’s lack of central defensive quality behind their traditional mainstay starters.

Some reports have claimed that Arsenal are prepared to bid for £42 million Isak Hien, who has impressed during the early stages of this season for Atalanta. The search for a striker remains ongoing as well, following Arteta and Edu’s widely reported failed summer attempt to strike a deal for RB Leipzig sensation Benjamin Sesko.

A fair few centre-forwards have been linked since then, despite Kai Havertz proving reliable in his makeshift striker role. According to Italian news outlet Calciomercato this week, Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic is a target for the club ahead of 2025.

Juventus attempting new Vlahovic contract as Arsenal circle

The Italian news outlet writes that Juve’s striker and the Old Lady are set for more new contract talks before the end of the year, as the Serie A giants are keen to try and iron out a long-term agreement.

Sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli wants to spread out his £192,000-per-week salary over several seasons, as Juve are struggling to meet his wage demands right now. Vlahovic, who’s scored seven goals across 11 appearances in all competitions so far, is free to leave in 2026 as things stand.

Calciomercato claim that Vlahovic’s path leads “mainly to England and Arsenal”, if the Serbia international cannot agree terms on an extension. His agent, Darko Ristic, was recently spotted in Turin – which has only fueled speculation over Vlahovic’s future.

Erling Haaland matched unique Premier League records held by Harry Kane and Ruud van Nistelrooy with a goal against Tottenham Hotspur.

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• Haaland equalled Kane and Nistelrooy's records
• Scored the opener against Spurs
• Man City next face Plymouth in FA Cup

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The City hitman netted his first Premier League goa, since scoring in the club's 5-1 defeat at Arsenal on February 2, as he broke the deadlock against Spurs in north London on Wednesday. Haaland marked his return from injury with a 12th-minute strike to put his team in front.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  With the goal at Tottenham Hotspur stadium, the Norwegian became only the second player in Premier League history after Manchester United legend Ruud van Nistelrooy's to score 20 or more goals in each of his first three seasons in the division. The striker now has 20 goals and three assists in 26 league appearances this term.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Haaland also equalled Spurs legend Kane's record of scoring 10 or more goals at home and 10 or more goals in away fixtures in three consecutive Premier League campaigns.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER CITY?

  The Cityzens headed into the break with a one-goal lead. They will hope to retain the advantage and return to winning ways after the loss at Liverpool at the weekend. The reigning champions will be back in action on Saturday as they take on Plymouth Argyle in an FA Cup fifth-round fixture.