Liverpool

Liverpool manager Arne Slot on Mohamed Salah's future and whether Sunday was his last home game against Manchester City: "Maybe Mo knows more about the 115 accusations for [Man City] not to be in the Premier League next season and I do expect them in the Premier League next season.

"The boring answer is always the same. This is not the place for me to talk about Salah's contract and maybe already, I've said too much about the joke I just made. That will probably get the headlines.

"It was a joke. I repeat, it was a joke."

City strongly deny 115 alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules.

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool

Liverpool manager Arne Slot on his side's upcoming fixtures and the busy festive period: "If Liverpool is [first, second, third or fourth], it is always a special game for the teams we face.

"If Liverpool fans come, the stadium is sold out, everybody wants to play us and everyone wants the best game against us, like they have against Arsenal, Man City and the others.

"The good thing is for me, it's not only us who play that many games. For example, we face Everton next, they've had a game during the week as well so mostly, we are facing teams that are rested for a week because we played Champions League.

"I wasn't aware that six of the [next] nine are away but now you tell me, it makes it even more difficult, but we're ready for it.

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Ipswich Town captain Sam Morsy did not wear a rainbow armband during Saturday's Premier League loss at Nottingham Forest because of "religious beliefs", his club have said.

Premier League clubs are showing their support for LGBTQ+ inclusion in sport by taking part in charity Stonewall's Rainbow Laces campaign between 29 November and 5 December.

However, Egypt international Morsy, 33, chose not to wear the rainbow captain's armband in the 1-0 loss at Forest - and Ipswich also host Crystal Palace during the campaign on Tuesday.

Ipswich reiterated their commitment to "being a fully inclusive club that welcomes everyone" but added they respect the decision of midfielder Morsy.

"We proudly support the Premier League’s Rainbow Laces campaign and stand with the LGBTQ+ community in promoting equality and acceptance," Ipswich said in a statement on Monday.

"During this year' campaign, members of the club's men's and women's first-teams visited our Foundation’s weekly LGBTQ+ football session, while the club also made a joint pledge of solidarity and inclusivity alongside Nottingham Forest ahead of Saturday's game.

"A range of further initiatives are planned around Tuesday's home game with Crystal Palace, including a takeover of the stadium's big screen in the moments prior to kick-off.

"At the same time, we respect the decision of our captain Sam Morsy, who has chosen not to wear the rainbow captain's armband, due to his religious beliefs."

Do you have a view on Morsy's stance? Get in touch using #bbcfootball, via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (UK only, standard message rates apply).

Liverpool

Liverpool manager Arne Slot on former Manchester United defender Gary Neville calling his side "massive favourites to win the title": "Is that the first one? He had a different opinion on us at the start of the season, which probably most people had about us, except our fans. We don't look at it at this moment like this.

"We know we have a difficult week coming up again and as we thought, Real Madrid and Man City were difficult to face. I think it's even harder to go to Newcastle away as well.

"We're not even halfway through the season yet, but it's a good position to be in. That's definitely true."

Liverpool beat Real Madrid and Manchester City last week, with both games finishing 2-0. Can Arne Slot's side go again this week?

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Newcastle have looked a little flat recently, and have been lacking a cutting edge.

This is still a tough game for Liverpool, though, off the back of such a big week for them with wins over Real Madrid and Manchester City.

The Magpies have already beaten Arsenal at St James' Park this season and they are certainly capable of getting something against Liverpool too, but you just cannot back against the leaders at the moment.

Arne Slot has such great strength in depth right through his squad and they can win games in different ways. Even if they do drop points here, their bubble is not going to burst anytime soon.

Sutton's prediction: 1-2

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Former Liverpool midfielder Bolo Zenden says offering Mohamed Salah a short-term deal could be the compromise needed to keep him at the club beyond this season.

Salah has been in fine form, scoring and assisting again in Sunday's win over Manchester City, but his deal expires at the end of the campaign and he has recently said he is currently "more out than in" when it comes to his Anfield future.

"Everybody would like to have Mo Salah in their team," Zenden told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"The way he performs, what he brings to the team, what he brings to the fans - you would think they would give him a contract to stay. In a financial sense, I'm sure Salah would be looking for a long-term contract and I don't think Liverpool would offer that.

"If he is offered another year I think he should just take it and then he can take it from year to year."

We will hear shortly from Arne Slot ahead of Liverpool's trip to Newcastle on Wednesday.

He is due up for media at 9:15 GMT, shortly followed by Magpies boss Eddie Howe from 09:30 GMT.

Martin, Derby: Re. 0818 Rory Smith. More than anything Ruud van Nistelrooy's appointment speaks to the lack of trusted viable candidates. Sometimes it's right to give fresh ideas a chance. West Ham opted apparently against Amorim because of his lack of experience - how is that working out? However, I would also like to see the glut of British managers doing well in the Championship; Cleverley, Parker, Carrick, Eustace and others, and afforded a pathway into progressive roles.

Simon Stone
BBC Sport's chief football news reporter

A few tweaks to the current rules were agreed by football's international law makers at their meeting in London yesterday, including one that might have helped Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta last month.

Arteta was booked during a Champions League game against Inter Milan for stopping the ball before it went out of play.

Under the rules as they presently stand, Arteta could have been sent off.

In 2019, German second tier club Holsten Kiel conceded a penalty in a match against Bochum when one of their substitutes stopped a ball when it was about to go wide but had not yet crossed the goal-line.

Providing it gets passed at its annual meeting in Belfast next March, the International Football Association Board has agreed the infringement will be punished by an indirect free-kick.

Speaking after the IFAB annual business meeting in London, the organisation’s technical director, former English top-flight official David Elleray, said: "It's currently a direct free-kick, or a penalty if it happens inside the box as was the case in a match in Germany a few years ago, and a red card.

"Of course, the coach might still get a yellow card if he comes out of his technical area to do it but if the laws are applied rigorously we feel they are too draconian."

In addition, IFAB has also told domestic competitions that from the start of next season their referees announce VAR rulings on the pitch if they wish.

A further tweak to the current rules will also allow referees to give possession at a drop ball to either side depending on who is going to get possession of the ball rather than just the team that played it last.

Chatting of cup draws, have a go at our poll at the top of the page.

It is in relation to what you would prefer your club to win.

Holders Celtic will host Kilmarnock in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup, while Rangers welcome Highland League side Fraserburgh to Ibrox.

There will be a Dundee derby at Dens Park, St Johnstone take on Motherwell in Perth and Aberdeen make the short trip to Elgin City.

Hibernian will be at home against Clydebank, currently unbeaten in the West of Scotland Football League, and Hearts visit Highland League leaders Brechin City.

Championship pace-setters Falkirk won 3-1 at East Kilbride on Monday evening and will meet league rivals Raith Rovers next.

Musselburgh Athletic of the East of Scotland Premier Division go to Hamilton Accies and Lowland League representatives Broxburn Athletic have a home tie with Ayr United.

The fourth-round matches will be played on the weekend of 18-19 January.

You can see the full draw here.

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Liverpool v Accrington Stanley is one of the more interesting ties in the FA Cup third round draw.

It's already being called The 'Milk Advert' derby because the teams were the subject of the beloved 1989 TV commercial carrying the line "Accrington Stanley, who are they?"

The sides will clash for only the second time after Liverpool prevailed 2-0 in 1956. That match was also in the third round of the FA Cup and it is hard to look beyond a similar outcome for Arne Slot's side given their stunning start to the season that has seen them lose just once in 20 games.

Shay Given
Former Man City goalkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club

Time will tell. Ruud van Nistelrooy has been given assurances that he can spend in January or bring in some of his own players to freshen things up?

What you can say is that he's in for a real fight to stay in the division. Any team that gets promoted, it's a fight isn't it? Steve Cooper will say that they were higher than the other teams that got promoted and he got sacked so I don't know whether he's thinking it's harsh.

Leicester were at sixes and sevens at the weekend and defensively were all over the shop so he's got a big job.

Leicester sit one point above the relegation zone in 16th place.

New Leicester boss Ruud van Nistelrooy said he was "astonished" by the amount of interest in him after his brief spell as Manchester United boss.

It comes after a four-game spell as interim manager at Old Trafford, following the sacking of Erik ten Hag, before he left when Ruben Amorim was appointed last month.

Van Nistelrooy, brought in by Ten Hag as an assistant manager in July, oversaw three wins and one draw during his four-game stint in charge at United and was initially upset over his exit.

"I have to say there were offers there and possibilities. It's good to have them and look and be critical on where you're going to work," said the Dutchman.

"What happened after the games and the amount of interest, the options that all of a sudden were there for me and the options that came along, I was a little bit astonished."

Rory Smith
Senior Writer for The Athletic, on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club

On Ruud van Nistelrooy's appointment as manager of Leicester City.

Was Van Nistelrooy an option in the summer? I suspect he wasn't. He maybe should have been because of what he did at PSV, but if he wasn't then it does look like the thing that has made the difference is that he's managed two Premier League games.

Do you think Erik ten Hag was in consideration? Ten Hag has a better managerial record than Van Nistelrooy.

Van Nistelrooy has got the job because in that brief window, he looks competent. What that suggests is the worst thing you can do if you want to be a football manager is manage any football games. You need to manage as few games as possible, win them, and you'll get given jobs.

Listen to the Monday Night Club.

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Ruud van Nistelrooy's only previous role in senior management was with former club PSV Eindhoven, who he led to second place in the Eredivisie in 2022-23.

He averaged 2.20 points per game with the Dutch club and boasted a win percentage of 64.71% before leaving at the end of his one season in charge due to a "lack of support."

After a year out, Van Nistelrooy joined Erik ten Hag's backroom staff at Manchester United in the summer, having spoken to Burnley about replacing Vincent Kompany at Turf Moor at the end of last season.

Van Nistelrooy said United was the only club he would have considered joining as an assistant manager.

After the departure of Ten Hag, Van Nistelrooy oversaw three wins and one draw during his four-game stint in charge - two of the victories coming against Leicester in the Premier League and Carabao Cup.

The Daily Mail

More Ruud van Nistelrooy chat comes in the Mail, who also dive into his "hurt" comments over his Manchester United exit.

Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville also pokes fun at Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, backing the Class of 92'-owned Salford City to upset City in the FA Cup third round.

He joked that Guardiola is "getting sacked in the morning" after Sunday's chants from the Anfield crowd following Liverpool's 2-0 win over City.

Image source, Mail

The back page of iSport reports that Real Madrid are plotting a £50m bid for Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot, which may then help United boss Ruben Amorim reunite with Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres.

The 26-year-old worked under the new United boss before his switch to Old Trafford, and has scored a crazy 24 goals already for the Portuguese outfit this season.

Image source, iSport