Image source, Getty Images

Thank you for joining us today as we reacted to Trent Alexander-Arnold's possible move to Real Madrid as well as Wales' point against North Macedonia and Northern Ireland's defeat to Sweden.

We also reported on former England Under-21s and Watford manager Aidy Boothroyd's Parkinson's Disease diagnosis, and send him our best wishes.

Read more on the Trent Alexander-Arnold backlash: 'Brilliant servant' or 'tarnished legacy'?

If you're just joining us and would like a catch-up, click on the links in the summary of this page for the latest stories or scroll below to read more.

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Arsenal manager Renee Slegers hopes to create “something magical” going into the second leg of their Women's Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid.

The Gunners are currently 2-0 down on aggregate.

Travelling away to Madrid for the first leg, goals from Linda Caicedo and Athenea del Castillo at the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium, alongside the debate regarding the playing surface, was enough to trouble Arsenal.

Speaking on Wednesday's second leg, Slegers said: "We are aware of Real Madrid's threat, but we know what we need to do.

"We have lots of quality in the squad and will try to make the correct decisions when needed. Together with our fans, we can create something magical and it's down to us and what we bring to the game."

Arsenal are out of the FA Cup and currently eight points behind leaders Chelsea in the Women's Super League, which means the Champions League is their only likely chance of silverware this season.

Arsenal have made the Champions League last-eight for a record-equalling 16th time and are the only English team to have lifted the trophy, in 2007.

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Arsenal will be hoping to use their home advantage to turn around a 2-0 deficit against Real Madrid tonight in the Women's Champions League quarter-finals at the Emirates Stadium.

The return match comes after Arsenal's players struggled to come to terms with tough pitch conditions at the Estadio Alfredo di Stefano in the first leg.

Former England and Arsenal striker Ian Wright said in a video posted during the game: "Watching the Champions League quarter-final. Real Madrid's pitch - this is worse than Derby's pitch the other day in the Conti Cup final.

"This is a disgrace the pitches these girls have to play on."

Arsenal manager Renee Slegers said the wet and muddy conditions in Madrid played a part in the defeat, which took place three days after the previous game at the ground.

On that note about the football lifecycle, we are going to switch focus to tonight's games in the Women's Champions League before calling time on this page...until tomorrow.

Simon Stone
BBC Sport's chief football news reporter

Normally, this deal would be a simple case of allowing Trent Alexander-Arnold’s Liverpool contract to run out on 30 June and Real Madrid would conclude the deal.

But this is no ordinary summer.

World governing body Fifa has changed their rules to allow clubs competing in the Club World Cup to sign players ahead of the tournament, from 1 to 10 June.

That would require Real and Liverpool to strike a deal to allow Alexander-Arnold to complete his switch early and be available for the new, expanded tournament in the United States.

Alternatively, Real could wait and register Alexander-Arnold mid-tournament, when clubs are allowed to change their squads in a short window between 27 June and 3 July.

Image source, PA Media

Let's not forget that two of those four Champions League titles won by Real Madrid while Trent Alexander-Arnold was playing for Liverpool were accomplished with victories against the Reds in the final.

Real Madrid beat Liverpool 3-1 in the 2018 final in Kyiv and scraped a 1-0 win in Paris in 2022, when Jurgen Klopp's side were thwarted by an outstanding display by Belgian stopper Thibaut Courtois.

In a parallel universe, Trent Alexander-Arnold could have had three Champions League winners' medals to Real Madrid's two during the England defender's playing career, thus far.

Image source, Getty Images

Since Trent Alexander-Arnold's Premier League debut on 14 December 2016, Liverpool have gone on to win eight major honours.

Alexander-Arnold was part of Liverpool's team for all eight honours.

In the same time period, Real Madrid have won 22 honours:

• Four Champions League titles
• Four La Liga titles
• Four Club World Cups
• Four Super Cups
• One Intercontinental Cup
• Four Spanish Super Cups
• One Spanish Cup

Image source, Getty Images

But the grass isn't always greener Chris, is it?...

Chris, Manchester: To the Liverpool fan at 11:58. We shouldn't forget that Raheem Sterling left Liverpool for Manchester City in 2015 and went on to have a fantastic spell there - winning multiple trophies, including four league titles and scoring two goals in an FA Cup final when City secured the domestic treble.

Say what you want about statistics [damned statistics]...

As we have seen, they can be used to make a case for and against Trent Alexander-Arnold's worth as a footballer.

But boil it all down and it is clear the West Derby-born defender has enjoyed a pretty good run at his hometown club...

When Trent Alexander-Arnold has managed to get in a tackle, he has the second worst success rate in duels (46.6%) of any full-back or wing-back in the Premier League this season.

The England defender has only won 90 of the 193 duels he has been involved in. Only Ipswich Town's Ben Johnson (45%) has a worse success rate.

In comparison, Manchester City's Josko Gvardiol leads the way, winning 129 of his 207 duels in the Premier League this season, with a success rate of 62.3%.

Whoever does fill Trent Alexander-Arnold's shoes as Liverpool right-back - whether it is Northern Ireland defender Conor Bradley or someone else - they may well provide an improvement on the England man's defensive stats.

Alexander-Arnold has been dribbled past by an opponent in the Premier League 53 times this season, more than any other player and 16 times more than any other full-back or wing-back.

This graphic of Trent Alexander-Arnold's 64 assists in the Premier League shows what Liverpool be could missing on the right, if he leaves for Real Madrid.

While 20 of those assists have come from set-pieces, including corners and free-kicks from both sides, the majority have come from his marauding runs down the right flank.

Image source, Opta

When it comes to getting the ball into the box, no other player in Europe - defenders, midfielders or forwards - can match Trent Alexander-Arnold for sheer quantity.

In 247 games played since the start of the 2017-18 season, the full-back has fired 2,583 passes into the Liverpool penalty area.

He provided the metronomic beat for Jurgen Klopp's famed heavy-metal football and has played an equally key role in Arne Slot's subsequent title charge this season.