Tag: Liverpool

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FOREST BEAT WOLVES 3-0 TO MOVE WITHIN SIX POINTS OF LEAGUE LEADERS LIVERPOOL

Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game during the Premier League match at Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton. Picture date: Monday January 6, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story SOCCER Wolves. Photo credit should read: Mike Egerton/PA Wire. RESTRICTIONS: EDITORIAL USE ONLY No use with unauthorised audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications.

Nottingham Forest opened the door to a surprise Premier League title challenge after a sixth win in a row with a 3-0 victory at Wolves.

A brilliant season under Nuno Espirito Santo continued at Molineux thanks to first-half goals from Morgan Gibbs-White and Chris Wood and Taiwo Awoniyi’s strike at the death.

It meant they racked up six top-flight wins for the first time since 1979 when Brian Clough was in charge – a fitting achievement as Monday marked 50 years since the Forest great was appointed at the City Ground.

Nuno could be about to rekindle the magic Clough produced as Forest moved six points behind leaders Liverpool, who visit the City Ground next week in a clash which could decide whether they really are title contenders.

It was an especially good night for former Wolves player Gibbs-White and Callum Hudson-Odoi, who gave watching England manager Thomas Tuchel food for thought with a goal and an assist respectively.

Wolves, missing talisman Matheus Cunha, remain in trouble at the other end of the table, losing under new boss Vitor Pereira for the first time, with three missed chances in the first half proving costly.

Moments after being goaded by the Wolves fans, Gibbs-White shut them up in the best possible way by scoring in front of the home end in just the seventh minute.

Elliot Anderson set Gibbs-White free to break at pace, he played in Anthony Elanga and got the ball back to sweep home from 14 yards, with the aid of a slight deflection.

He was happy to remind the Wolves fans of their early barbing by celebrating with his hands in his ears in front of them.

Forest should have surrendered their lead soon after but two heroic acts denied Wolves.

First, Murillo produced a fine goal-line clearance after Hwang Hee-chan had burst into the area and teed up Jorgen Strand Larsen, who looked primed to score from a few yards out.

Then goalkeeper Matz Sels, one of Forest’s players of the season, produced a magnificent flying save to tip over Rodrigo Gomes’ fierce volley.

The visitors were living dangerously and Sels denied a certain goal in the 28th minute as he did well to block Strand Larsen’s close-range header from Gomes’ wicked cross.

Forest were under the cosh but thought they should have had a penalty in the 33rd minute when Ola Aina’s cross hit the partly-outstretched arm of Rayan Ait-Nouri, but referee Peter Bankes waved away protests and VAR Alex Chilowicz did not see it differently.

They did not sulk at that decision and doubled their lead in the 44th minute.

Hudson-Odoi made it, skinning Matt Doherty on the left and cutting back to Wood, who swept home into an empty net for his 12th of the season.

The second half was played on Forest’s terms, happy to give up possession and look to counter, and Wolves were unable to put their visitors under any sustained pressure.

The nearest they came to getting back into the game was in the 67th minute when Strand Larsen was again denied by Sels, who turned a deflected effort around the post.

Awoniyi made it 3-0 with the final act, tapping in from James Ward-Prowse’s tee up.

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CARLO ANCELOTTI TIGHT-LIPPED ON ALEXANDER-ARNOLD MOVE

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti refused to be drawn on the club’s pursuit of Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold.

The Champions League holders were rebuffed when they made an initial enquiry about the England right-back’s availability a few days ago.

Liverpool are determined to hang on to the 26-year-old, whose contract expires in the summer, and a reported potential second approach from the Spanish club, this time backed by a firm cash offer in the region of £20million, is unlikely to sway their resolve.

Ancelotti, asked about January signings, told a press conference: “It is difficult for me to talk about that in this context. But we are going to have to wait and see.

“We are focused on all these games in January and the game tomorrow (against Valencia) and I’ve got nothing more to say. It’s not sensible for me to speak about the market right now.

“I’m not going to speak about it because right now, here, is not the place to talk about it.

“We will see what will happen but I have a great squad. We have got injuries and problems with that but we are also able to overcome them.”

When Madrid first made contact it is understood they were told there was no inclination to sell Alexander-Arnold and and no intention of discussing the matter further as Liverpool are purely focused on the dual challenge of the Premier League and Champions League, both of which they currently top of the table in.

That stance will not change despite the inevitable increased speculation during the January transfer window, heightened by the fact the player is now free to sign a pre-contract agreement.

In fact, Liverpool are still hoping to broker a deal which keeps the academy graduate at the club.

Dialogue with the player and his representatives – his brother Tyler looks after his interests – over a new contract has been ongoing for several months and the club have been given no indication Alexander-Arnold would like to leave.

While team-mates Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, also both out of contract in the summer, have spoken out about their personal situations in recent months, Alexander-Arnold has remained tight-lipped.

When asked about his future last month he said: “I have been at the club 20 years now and I have signed four or five contract extensions… and none of those have been played out in public. This one won’t be either.”

However, that will not stop the ongoing speculation or Madrid escalating their charm offensive.

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ENZO MARESCA UNBOTHERED ABOUT CHELSEA’S TITLE CHANCES, BELIEVES MAN CITY CAN STILL COMPETE

Enzo Maresca has backed Manchester City to bounce back into Premier League title contention and said it is “just reality” that Chelsea are not in the hunt themselves.

Maresca’s Blues host Fulham on Boxing Day lying second in the table, and are only four points adrift of leaders Liverpool, having played one match more.

City have won the league for the past four seasons but they have been cast 12 points adrift of the summit following a miserable run which has seen them lose nine times in their previous 12 outings.

However, Maresca, who worked alongside Pep Guardiola at the Etihad, said: “Manchester City at the end will be there. They are in a moment that has never happened before.

“Every time they play a game, they have an injury, and they don’t have enough players at this moment. And the ones they have are not 100 per cent because they have just come back from injury, so it is a very bad situation.

“We are ahead of our expectations, in terms of the way we are playing, and the points we have, but the main focus is how we can improve the players and how we can improve the team.”

Maresca, who has continually played down his side’s aspirations for glory, added: “It is not about the (title) pressure for the players or for the club or for me, it is just the reality.

“I would like to have that kind of pressure and hopefully soon we can, but the reason why I said we are not there yet, is because the reality is that we are not.”

Liverpool are ready to capitalise on City’s demise, while Arsenal, who are six points off top spot, are set to be without star man Bukayo Saka for a sustained period after he suffered a hamstring tear.

Asked if it was Liverpool’s title to lose, Maresca said: “No, the reality says we are second at the halfway point, so the table does reflect the teams.

“But Liverpool have done a fantastic job since the first day, and the squad has lived that kind of moment, winning a trophy, which is important.

“Last year, when Liverpool faced Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final I saw the amount of finals that Liverpool players had played in, and the number of finals Chelsea players had played in, and there was a huge difference. So it shows the experience you need, but we are happy to be where we are.”

Chelsea will continue to be without winger Mykhailo Mudryk after he returned a positive drug test.

The 23-year-old Ukrainian, who has not played for a month, was spotted ringside for compatriot Oleksandr Usyk’s heavyweight title victory over Tyson Fury in Saudi Arabia at the weekend.

“In this moment it is good that he can disconnect a little bit from the situation,” said Maresca. “The last time I spoke with him, we try to support him, and now we are just waiting.”

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THE ‘MISPEPING’ OF CITY AND JURGEN KLOPP’S FOOTPRINT IN LIVERPOOL’S PERFORMANCES.

This short piece is, in my opinion, not necessarily backed up by Opta or one football statistic authority. I’ll urge you to read with a neutral mind.

Pep Guardiola is undoubtedly one of the greatest Managers of the last two decades. But why has he lost five games in a row, making an unpopular record for himself?

Bar injuries of Rodri, Stones and Ruben Dias, Pep used to execute games with Akanji, Ake and/or Stones. In the midfield too, Gundogan has been playing alongside Rico Lewis. The latter is a young lad who has proven to be worth the hype in the last few seasons. While these two may not be the favourite midfield combination for City, they have worked very well for them in the past. So, what changed?

In my opinion, most of the City players who are pivotal to their yester victories are now older and getting close to the point of diminishing. Don’t get me wrong, they are not diminishing yet, but they are getting close to that point. Using a set of players to win multiple trophies for four years or more will come with consequences. What would make the difference is a succession plan. And this is why Klopp is in this story.

Liverpool Coach, Arne Slot.

Yes! It takes a good Manager to pick up quality players and deploy them well to win games and stay competitive. But Klopp’s succession plan for Liverpool was the beginning of the success of whoever succeeds him as Liverpool Boss.

The idea of letting Liverpool’s top midfielders go, all at the same time seemed horrendous to some Liverpool fans, but it was a necessary step at rebuilding the Liverpool team. Jordan Henderson, Fabinho Tavares, James Milner, and Alex Oxlade Chamberlain were all released at the same time, paving the way for the arrivals of Dominic Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo. It is on this new foundation that Arne Slot is now continuing the competitiveness of the Liverpool team across competitions.

Klopp did the same with the Liverpool attack. We all enjoyed the fluidity and effectiveness of the trio of Salah, Mane and Firmino but Klopp understands we cannot have that forever, hence, the introduction of Jota, Nunez, Diaz and then Gakpo. Recall that Mane and Firmino (Firmino especially) were still at Mersey side when most of these players arrived. This points to an excellent succession plan.

But is Pep not doing this too?

Since the run of defeats, many have criticised Guardiola for not replacing Alvarez, as if Erling Haaland is no longer the goal machine of the blue half of Manchester. What they forget is Jeremy Doku and the newly added Savinho and James Mc Atee. Manchester City has midfield options too. Aside from Mateo Kovacic who just recently got injured, there is Matheus Nunes and Oscar Bobb. Having all these options, most of whom were integrated into the team before this season, and losing five games in a row, gives a suspicious smell beyond the lack of Rodri and Ruben Dias.

But Liverpool should be worried too. Ryan Gravenberch has proven to be one of the key players driving the team’s success this season. Leading the English and Champions League table with the best Goal difference has a lot to do with how the midfield is anchored. Should Gravy get injured sometimes during this season, can Liverpool remain as good as they are now using alternative combinations from the mix of Endo, Mac Allister, Jones and Szobo? Food for thought.

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ARNE SLOT SAYS CITY’S LOSS DID NOT GIVE LIVERPOOL AN EXTRA EDGE

Liverpool Head Coach, Arne Slot

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot insisted his Premier League leaders needed no motivation from Manchester City’s defeat at Brighton to beat Aston Villa and take a five-point lead into the international break.

A sense of opportunity swept through Anfield just before kick-off following news of the defending champions’ loss on the south coast but Slot said that was not the driving factor behind their 2-0 win – the 15th victory in 17 games this season.

“I cannot tell what the fans felt, I can only say if my players need extra motivation that would not be a good idea,” said the Dutchman.

“If you play at Anfield in front of your own fans you should only be motivated. You should not need motivation from another match.”

Liverpool’s 28 points from 11 matches has been bettered only once in the last 34 seasons, in 2019-20 when they had 31 points at the same stage and went on to win the league comfortably.

Having beaten Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday to make it four wins from four in the Champions League, just days after coming from behind to defeat Brighton, it has been a significant week in Slot’s short Anfield career.

But he is not getting carried away by his rivals’ slip-ups as he is aware fortunes can quickly change.

“It was definitely a big week but every game is,” he added.
“Hopefully we will have a lot of these weeks to come. We are trying to compete for the league, for the Champions League and for the cups as well.
“We also know it is a long season as well and the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and City are capable of winning so many games in 17 as we did.”

The only downside to the victory, secured by goals from Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah, was a hamstring injury to Trent Alexander-Arnold which is likely to rule him out of England’s forthcoming Nations League matches.

“That is difficult to say how serious it is but it is always a serious if a player goes out in the first half,” said Slot.

“He asked for it because he felt something, so that is first of all not a good sign.

“It is always difficult so close after the game to tell you exactly what it is but let’s wait and see.

“I would be surprised if we will see him playing for the England national team this week but hopefully he can.”

For the first time Villa have lost four successive matches under manager Unai Emery.

“Obviously the result is not good but how we played I am confident. I am confident because I think we are in the right way after this match,” he said.

“We wanted to get points but today against Liverpool we can accept the result because they are really feeling strong at home and not really dominating and creating chances against us.

“They won and we accept it.”

Villa had two penalty appeals in the second half, one for a shirt pull on Pau Torres and another for a foul on the defender.

“For me it was clearly a penalty because he pulled the shirt of Pau Torres. I know that in Europe this is a penalty, but here in England they want to use VAR,” he said.

“In this situation it was clear. I always respect the decisions of referees and I accept it, but for me, when I watched it, with VAR it was a clear penalty.

“It was a very important moment in the game because if we could have the chance to shoot the penalty, maybe the match would have been different.

“I accept the result and the referee’s decision (but) I don’t agree.”

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LIVERPOOL BEAT ASTON VILLA TO GO FIVE POINTS CLEAR ON THE PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE

Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah fired Liverpool five points clear at the top of the Premier League as the 2-0 victory over Aston Villa clinically exploited Manchester City’s defeat earlier in the day.

Anfield was buzzing after the news came in of Brighton’s victory over the defending champions and for long periods the atmosphere crackled with the sense of expectation and opportunity.

It was not their most convincing victory under Arne Slot, who has now won 15 of his first 17 games, but took Liverpool to 28 points – a tally bettered only once in the last 34 seasons when they amassed 31 points at the same stage in 2019-20 on the way to lifting the league title.

It was sparked by Nunez, who scored one and missed two, which for him was a typical night in a red shirt.

The criticism levelled at the Uruguay international is that he is not reliable enough in front of goal to be first-choice number nine but he has a knack for making himself the centre of attention regardless.

His 66 minutes on the pitch was an encapsulation of that as his 20th-minute goal saw him react quickest to a loose ball to fire past Emiliano Martinez.

But faced with a long run on goal and only the Argentinian to beat from another corner breakaway he skied his shot into the Kop, while the close-range header he missed early in the second half would have undoubtedly made for a more comfortable night for the league leaders.

The winner was almost a throwback to the Jurgen Klopp era as Virgil van Dijk broke out from a Villa corner and played the ball into an empty Villa half for Salah to race onto.

He was clean through but went down in a tangle with the pursuing Leon Bailey.
Referee David Coote waved away claims for a foul – and potential red card – but Nunez was alert to the opportunity and although his first touch took him wide of Martinez his second saw him fire into an empty net from a tight angle.

But faced with a one-on-one opportunity of his own from another Villa corner 12 minutes later he displayed the profligacy which has blighted his Liverpool career to date, having only been inches away from connecting with Salah’s deft chip moments earlier.

Liverpool may have dominated but in the space of a minute the visitors had four chances to equalise: Caoimhin Kelleher tipped over Amadou Onana’s header and then repelled Diego Carlos’ near-post flick from the next delivery, with Ryan Gravenberch blocking Ollie Watkins’ follow-up before Lucas Digne volleyed into the side-netting.

The loss of Trent Alexander-Arnold to a hamstring injury midway through the first half was a blow to Liverpool and England ahead of their forthcoming Nations League matches but it did not materially affect their performance.

Straight from the second half kick-off Morgan Rogers curled a shot wide after breaking down the left to serve warning that Villa were far from done, then Nunez was equally wasteful with his head from six yards out.

Villa’s claim for a penalty when Conor Bradley had hold of Pau Torres’ shirt at a free-kick was rejected by VAR but seemed a more valid shout than when Watkins went down theatrically in a shoulder challenge with the excellent Ibrahima Konate.

The visitors ramped up the pressure in the closing 15 minutes but it required Ezri Konsa to slide in to superbly deny Luis Diaz from yet another corner counter-attack.

However, Diego Carlos was not as fortunate when he headed against Salah, who raced away to beat Martinez for his eighth goal in 10 outings against Villa, who have lost four in a row under Unai Emery for the first time.

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LUIS DIAZ HAT-TRICK SEES LEVERKUSEN BOSS XABI ALONSO LOSE ON LIVERPOOL RETURN

Luis Diaz scored Liverpool’s first Champions League hat-trick in two years as they extended their 100 per-cent record to four matches with a 4-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen as former midfielder Xabi Alonso endured a miserable return to Anfield.

Diaz’s impudent chip was followed by Cody Gakpo’s fourth goal in a week as the hosts won the game within the space of three second-half minutes before Diaz added two more late on.

Liverpool’s first eight goals in the competition all came from different scorers – Diaz the first man to net more than once – and shows the options and versatility head coach Arne Slot has at his disposal as on this occasion he opted to play the Colombia international as a centre-forward to accommodate Gakpo on the left.

Last season it took Diaz until February to score the nine goals he has now, while Gakpo’s six in this campaign is equally as impressive as he is by no means a regular starter.

They are resources Alonso, who was hot favourite for the Liverpool job when Jurgen Klopp announced he was leaving before ruling himself out to concentrate on guiding his club to their first Bundesliga title, could only dream of as his side struggled to make an impression.

The Spaniard stood in his technical area for most of the game, conducting things like he had done for five years in a red shirt at this ground.

However, much of it involved pulling his players this way and that to maintain a defensive organisation which did its job in keeping their hosts – scorers of 32 goals in their last 12 European games at Anfield – at bay for an hour.

Only with the match won did the Kop chant the name of their beloved former player in the 90th minute – but not before celebrating Slot and his remarkable start to his maiden campaign which has brought 14 wins, one draw and one defeat in 16 games.

For such a highly-anticipated game the only fireworks came from the streets surrounding Anfield but when they subsided just after 9pm things began to liven up on the pitch.

Curtis Jones lifted over a shot from the crowded edge of the penalty area while Mohamed Salah snatched at an effort with his right foot and skewed wide.

But the match was decided within the space of three clinical minutes.

Trent Alexander-Arnold drilled a pass into the feet of Jones and he slid in the perfect through-ball to pick out Diaz who confidently lifted a shot over the onrushing goalkeeper.

Diaz then teed up Salah to cross to the far post for Gakpo to head home and although his goal was flagged offside, VAR overturned that decision and Anfield reverberated to the tune of Ring of Fire, synonymous with the 2005 Champions League triumph of which Alonso had been a pivotal part.

Victor Boniface had a chance to make things interesting but headed wide from six yards and Leverkusen were made to pay when Diaz brought down Salah’s cross to poke home the third eight minutes from time.

Goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher stuck out a leg to deny Florian Wirtz and keep a clean sheet late on before Diaz stabbed home a rebound as Liverpool won their opening four European matches for only the sixth time in their history.

The first half was a tactical battle with Liverpool dominating possession and Leverkusen trying to find the chinks in their armour to break out.

It resulted in a game low on excitement and chances with Alexander-Arnold’s free-kick deflected over, and Salah and Gakpo barely testing Lukas Hradecky with weak shots close to either post.

Jeremie Frimpong, whose earlier penalty claim against Virgil van Dijk was turned down, fired past Kelleher just before the break after bundling past Kostas Tsimikas but the assistant referee flagged for a handball and VAR agreed.

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LEVERKUSEN BOSS, XABI ALONSO DISMISSES LIVERPOOL LINKS ON RETURN TO ANFIELD

Former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso dodged questions about taking over at Anfield and insisted he does not return to the city as a tourist.

Alonso was hot favourite for the Liverpool job when Jurgen Klopp announced in January he was leaving, but quickly ruled himself out of the running before guiding Bayer Leverkusen to their first Bundesliga title.

Asked whether it was ever a serious consideration, the Spaniard, who won the 2005 Champions League during a five-year spell at Anfield, said: “At that time I was focused, I had a big thing with the players and we were really focused on that.”

He has already been linked with a return to another of his former clubs Real Madrid to succeed Carlo Ancelotti, but he refused to speculate on whether coming to Anfield would be a consideration.

“Let’s talk about the game tomorrow, it’s more interesting than my future. Let’s talk about the great players on both sides, that is what is in my head,” he added.

“For us it is a big challenge to come here. Liverpool at the moment is one of the best if not the best in Europe, they are showing that in a very strong Premier League and the Champions League.

“It’s a good squad, good coach. At Anfield, it’s a big challenge. We’re looking forward to it, let’s see what happens.”

Alonso remains a crowd favourite and there is every chance the Kop will sing his name at some point on Tuesday night.

“We will see, I will tell you after the game how I feel. There will be a moment for everything, but the main thing is not me,” he said.

“It’s the players, how we deal with the emotions you have in this stadium, they are in a good moment.”

On his return to Liverpool, he added: “Maybe tomorrow I will take a little walk or a run, but there is no time for tourism.

“I know the city very well, I loved it, but I will focus on the game and only the game.”

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I WANT TO BE NUMBER ONE: LIVERPOOL’S CAOIMHIN KELLEHER UNSURE OF FUTURE AT MERSEYSIDE

Republic of Ireland international Caoimhin Kelleher has admitted he may have to leave Liverpool to achieve his dream of becoming a first-choice goalkeeper.

The 25-year-old, who started for Ireland in Saturday’s 2-0 Nations League defeat by England, is currently number two at Anfield behind Alisson Becker, but with Georgia international Giorgi Mamardashvili due to arrive on Merseyside next summer, his future appears to be up in the air.

Asked about his situation at Ireland’s pre-match press conference ahead of Tuesday’s clash with Greece, Kelleher said: “I made it clear in the last few years I want to go be a number one and play week in, week out.

“The club made the decision to get another goalkeeper. From the outside looking in, looks like they have made a decision to go in another direction.

“My ambition has always been clear the last few seasons that I want to be a number one.

“Sometimes from the outside looking in, it looks like it is 100 per cent my decision but at times it is not always in my hands.”

Kelleher, a two-time Carabao Cup winner with the Reds, deputised ably for Alisson last season after the Brazilian suffered a hamstring injury, and made 26 appearances in total.

He was linked with a move away in January and then again during the summer, when Nottingham Forest reportedly had a series of bids rejected.

Asked how close he came to leaving the Reds during the summer, Kelleher said: “My mission was to go out and play, and be a number one.

“It has been reported that Liverpool had rejected a few bids as well. It is not always in my hands to make the decision. My ambition is to prove I am good enough to play week in, week out.”

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LIVERPOOL AGREE DEAL WITH PSV FOR NETHERLANDS FORWARD CODY GAKPO

PSV have announced they have reached an agreement with Liverpool over the proposed transfer of Cody Gakpo.

The Netherlands attacker starred at the World Cup, scoring three goals in Qatar, and is now on his way to England to finalise a switch to Merseyside.

“PSV and Liverpool have reached an agreement on the proposed transfer of Cody Gakpo,” an official club statement read.

“The 23-year-old attacker will leave for England imminently where he will be subjected to the necessary formalities ahead of the completion of the transfer.”

PSV general manager Marcel Brands confirmed Gakpo’s anticipated transfer would be a “record” for the Eredivisie club.

Hirving Lozano’s move to Napoli in 2019 for a reported 42 million euros was the previous highest sale by the Dutch outfit.

A club statement added: “Both clubs are not making any announcements about the transfer fee.”

“But this is a record transfer for PSV,” said general manager Brands.