Liverpool

Liverpool manager Arne Slot will be speaking to the media before their Champions League match against Real Madrid tomorrow evening.

He will be giving updates on team news and he is sure to be asked about Mohamed Salah.

You can watch the conference at the top of the page, it is scheduled to start at 3.30pm GMT, and we will also be updating you with all the top lines.

Liverpool

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Going into Liverpool's Champions League clash with Real Madrid on Wednesday, two players are one booking away from a one-match suspension.

Centre-back Ibrahima Konate and midfielder Alexis Mac Allister are both one booking away from being handed a one-match ban.

In the Champions League, players are handed a one-match suspension when reaching three bookings for the season.

They are handed a further ban should they reach five or seven cautions.

Bayern Munich's Harry Kane believes he is at his peak in his footballing career, saying: "It's the best I have felt. The goals I am scoring and the numbers I am putting up is the best I have had in my career.

"I feel in a really good moment and I spoke before about being an experienced player, you know a lot about the game. I have plenty of experience at the highest level and you start to learn about different phases in the game, physically where you are at."

Watch his full comments:

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Speaking before Tuesday evening's Champions League match, Ruben Amorim's successor at Sporting, Joao Pereira, said: "Before the game against Manchester City, the players were already thinking that they could reach the play-offs.

"The victory against City is a morale booster, but it only gives us three points. Against Arsenal it's a little different. I think we're ready."

Pat Nevin
Former Chelsea and Scotland winger

‌Arsenal should have been sorely tested against a resurgent Nottingham Forest, but they weren’t. At the game it was clear that there was a chasm-like gulf in class, that the home team never looked like stumbling into.

‌The mutual understanding of Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard was extraordinary, bordering on psychic as I totally failed to shut up about during the live BBC commentary. The latter was playing on a different level to anyone else and several levels above every Forest player.

‌Odegaard was sublime, almost balletic, seeing spaces, gliding into them and effortlessly making passes that his opponents couldn’t even imagine. It all reminded me of Kevin de Bruyne and David Silva at their peak.

‌Maybe this comparison speaks volumes. For all the talent in that over 30s gang of KDB, Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan, the level of creativity and control at City has dipped dramatically this season. Arsenal with Odegaard back in the side look as good if not better than ever, and this was without the rested Declan Rice and Kai Havertz.

Read more on our dedicated Arsenal page.

Arsenal

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta wants his players to make a Champions League statement by recording a big win against Sporting on Tuesday.

"It's certainly something we have to improve," said Arteta.

"I think we have made the right steps and, looking back with the way we played against Inter, which is a team that has been so dominant in their league, reached the final of the Champions League which they should have won, to play and dominate that game.

"But the reality is that you have to make it happen and we didn't.

"Making those steps is what we have to do next. Be ruthless, be efficient in the opposition box and do what we have to do to take the three points away from here."

Arteta added: "That is a great challenge that we have, to come here and make a statement and show we are capable against this kind of opponent. Be ourselves and win the game."

Image source, Getty Images

Arsenal

Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya does not believe he has been affected by changes to defensive personnel enforced by injuries and suspensions in recent weeks.

Although Riccardo Calafiori returned from a spell out injured at the weekend, that came after news that Ben White is set to be out for a few months following knee surgery.

"I don't think it has affected me in any way," said the Spain international before the Gunners' Champions League game at Sporting on Tuesday.

"We have had some injuries but we have a great squad. We rely on anyone that can play in those positions and I know they're going to do their job 100%.

"No matter who plays there, we feel confident that they're going to do the right job."

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Arsenal go into their trip to Sporting winless in their past five away games in the Champions League, having drawn two and lost three. They have also failed to score in the past four.

Only one English team has ever failed to score in five consecutive away games in European Cup/Champions League history and that was Manchester United from October 2004 to November 2005.

Aston Villa

Aston Villa defender Pau Torres on what has been missing in recent weeks with the negative results: "We know we haven't had the results we are looking for. We know we have things to correct, to analyse with the staff during the week.

"These results only make us work harder so that the good dynamic returns."

Aston Villa

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery on the difference between defensive performances in the Champions League and Premier League: "We are working on it. We have to feel strong in our structure and not only thinking defensively, thinking overall. The balance has not been consistent but of course we have to improve.

"We must be stronger defensively, starting with the ball. We want to try and dominate matches. I have confidence because the team and the players show me and they show the supporters a capacity to respond and react quick."

Aston Villa

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery on whether there is a possibility to bring Douglas Luiz back to Villa Park: "He must be happy there. He must get the challenge there with his quality.

"I am not thinking that he will want to leave there but I don't know. I think now is that he is injured and he won't be here tomorrow."

Aston Villa

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery on his message to Aston Villa fans before the match against Juventus: "Enjoy it. We want to enjoy competing and we want to enjoy winning. We are here in the Champions League trying to be consistent and consistent in the competition this year.

"Hopefully, we can play a lot of years again in the Champions League but the reality is, now is the moment we have to enjoy, we have to compete and tomorrow we face Juventus and we have to be competitive."

Aston Villa

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery on whether the constant midweek games are affecting his team and fixing the current problems: "Last year we had experience with the Conference League, we juggled a lot. We want to play a lot of matches and hopefully we will play until the last month of the season. The Champions League is the best competition in the world.

"We are managing each match and more or less being consistent in the preparation and being consistent in the idea to build a team.

"Tomorrow is a very important three points but even if we don't win, taking one point is good because in the table we are in the top eight positions. We want to be in the next round and tomorrow if we win maybe we can be a contender to get it."

Aston Villa

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery on Juventus manager Thiago Motta: "He was very competitive [as a player], he was very intelligent, he was a top player. Physically he was strong, mentally he was strong and now as a coach he has started being successful.

"I appreciate him as a person, I appreciate him as a player and now I appreciate him as a manager."

Aston Villa

And more confirmation from Unai Emery himself that both Ezri Konsa and Boubacar Kamara are absolutely, 110%, never in doubt, in the squad: "In the squad, we include Konsa and Boubacar Kamara for tomorrow but not [Amadou] Onana or [Jacob] Ramsey."

Aston Villa

We are due to hear from Aston Villa manager Unai Emery shortly ahead of his side's Champions League clash with Juventus at Villa Park.

We will bring you updates from that news conference next.

The top eight teams in the table after all the group matches have been played will automatically qualify for the knockout stages. Teams in ninth to 24th will then play in a two-leg play-off to progress.

Liverpool are currently top with 12 points and if earlier Opta predictions are correct, the Reds need just four more points to qualify.

Opta said earlier this month 16 points - potentially five wins and one draw from eight matches - would give a 98% chance of finishing in the top eight.

Meanwhile, achieving 10 points - three wins and one draw, for example - would give a 99% chance of securing a place in the top 24.

Here they are. Kamara and Konsa DEFINITELY in training. Never in doubt.

Just wanted to wake a few of you Villa fans up on this cold Tuesday afternoon...

Image source, Getty Images