Liverpool

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Other teams "will fear playing Liverpool" after the Reds continued their winning run in the Champions League, says former defender Stephen Warnock

Arne Slot's side beat Lille 2-1 on Tuesday night to secure their seventh win from seven games in the new-look league phase of the competition and book their place in the last-16.

"I think Slot will be delighted because of the changes that he made for this game, particularly to the back line," Warnock told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"It's a job well done from Liverpool in what could potentially have been a banana skin.

"They were better in the second half and dominant but saw the game out in a professional manner and were quite comfortable in the end.

"It was what Liverpool needed to do and never really got out of first gear to achieve that. They worked out how to beat the Lille press and they caused them problems.

"At the start of the season, not many people knew what to expect of Arne Slot.

"Since Pulisic's goal for AC Milan against them, they have cruised. They have sat back when they need to, and put the foot down when they need to.

"Teams will fear playing Liverpool."

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Liverpool boss Arne Slot became just the second manager in Uefa Champions League history to win each of his first seven games in charge of a club, after Hansi Flick with Bayern Munich (won first seven between 2019 and 2021).

The Reds have also gone on to win all 22 of the games in which they have opened the scoring under Slot (across all competitions), with 10 of those coming at Anfield.

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Liverpool boss Arne Slot, speaking to Amazon Prime: "We are happy that we are top eight. This league table doesn't tell you anything.

"Maybe the number 24 is better than the number 16 but the 16 had an easier draw. We want to be top but we have to wait and see if it's an advantage.

"As a manager, I'm a bit more impressed than the crowd or the people who watch the TV. I knew they were 21 games unbeaten but they beat both Real and Atletico Madrid and they did this without the best players in the world, with the greatest respect. I wasn't happy about one chance conceded and one goal conceded.

"The privilege of managing Liverpool is you have more than 11 good players. You know how tough this competition is and the Premier League and it's up to the players to be ready if they get a chance. His [Harvey Elliott] goal was a lucky goal but his performance was good.

On if Liverpool are the best in the world: "No. I think we have a lot of quality and players work really hard. If Thomas Frank says this then it means something. He's been in the Premier League a long time and doesn't have a lot of resources so if he gives this compliment then it is nice. I can come up with five or six teams who are also very good.

"Every time we win it is by small margins. They understand how hard we have to work for a win. Bayern Munich is very good and Barcelona beat Benfica 5-4."

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Liverpool midfield Harvey Elliott, speaking to Amazon Prime: "It is hard to put into words. All my life I've dreamt of playing Champions League football, not only for my boyhood club, but to play here at Anfield in front of our fans and especially to score is a pinch me moment.

"The family are here watching down and it is an amazing feeling but it is done now - I need to go into training tomorrow and make sure I'm putting the work in again.

On what Slot said to him at half-time: "He just said go out and play and enjoy the game and do it for ourselves really. I wanted to go on and affect the game but also enjoy it.

"I've dreamt as a kid of playing on this stage so I just wanted to enjoy the moment and take it all in my stride and help the team out."

On his celebration: "It is pretty clear to be honest - I am not leaving. This is my team and my club.

"I'm a massive fan and we're in a great position so far this season. I haven't really seen the chat, but my friends have messaged me and called me about a few things. It is always going to happen in January, especially after being out for a long time and not playing as much as I want to, but that is football.

"I've had conversations with the gaffer but, at the same time, I need to understand the situation. The team is flying - we are first in the Premier League and Champions League. For me to go in and say I should be starting it would be silly of myself really. You know what the answer is going to be.

"I need to stay patient and when I am getting opportunities, however long it is, just enjoy the moment, especially after being injured for three months at the start of the season.

"I just want to enjoy my football and when a chance comes I need to show the gaffer that if I am needed I am ready."

Callum Matthews
BBC Sport journalist

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This season has been "difficult" for Harvey Elliott, according to Liverpool team-mate Mohamed Salah.

The 21-year-old suffered a broken foot early in the season and has been restricted to just substitute appearances in the Premier League and Champions League so far this campaign.

He is starting to have an impact though.

He assisted Darwin Nunez's second goal at Brentford on Saturday and his deflected strike was the winner here.

There has been speculation that Elliott may leave Anfield in the January transfer window but he was quick to shut that down post-match saying "I'm not leaving - this is my team and my club".

With Liverpool still fighting on all four fronts then Elliott is picking a good time to return to form and lift his output.

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Liverpool goalscorer Mo Salah, speaking to Amazon Prime: "Hopefully not the last one but I'm very proud of it. I wasn't focused on it before the game.

"They have a really good game plan and they were unbeaten for 21 games so they're a quite tough team. I'm glad we managed to win that game.

On his goal: "We got the ball and Curtis [Jones] played the ball very well finally and I managed to score.

"Not switched off but they went to counter-attack and managed to score. The clean sheet is very important to us and our backline.

On Harvey Elliott: "He had injuries at the start of the season and it's been difficult for him. I'm always here for him, he's a great lad. When you want to win the biggest tournaments, you need a great squad.

On Liverpool squad who won Champions League in 2019: "It's a different manager, different player. We have three, four, five, six from the other squad."

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Liverpool's performance

Come back to this page on Wednesday to find a selection of your replies

Two English teams are taking part in the Champions League on Tuesday, and we will bring you every moment.

• Monaco v Aston Villa - 17:45 GMT - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Liverpool v Lille - 20:00 GMT - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Follow all of the action and reaction here

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot spoke to the media on Monday before Tuesday's Champions League game against Lille at Anfield.

But before speaking about their perfect record in the competition, he responded to Brentford boss Thomas Frank describing the Reds as the best team in the world.

"His opinion means something to me because he has shown at Brentford how well he has done for so many years without spending crazy amounts of money," Slot said. "But I think it's far too early to say these things."

Slot also said he is not overly concerned by finishing top of the league phase table, stating: "Being on top doesn't tell you you're the best team and it's impossible to say [who is] because of the strange format we have."

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We asked for your views on whether Harvey Elliott and other Liverpool players who are seeing their playing time limited should be getting more minutes, and if Elliott was to be played more, where you would like to see him playing.

Here are some of your comments:

Andy: Harvey Elliott should be in both the Liverpool and England teams. He is an amazing talent as he showed in pre-season. Phil McNulty has said before that Elliott will be a future England regular and he needs game time to achieve that. I hope Slot doesn't waste this young and exceptional talent.

Rhona: Last season Harvey really made the engine tick going forward. I was devastated last week when he was linked with a transfer to Borussia Dortmund. He loves Liverpool, he is young and he is a future captain.

Fraser: Arne Slot has done really well so far and I'm really happy with him but if there's one thing that I think he could improve on it is that he needs to start trusting some of his players more. Harvey Elliott was really good for us in the last few seasons and he has shown that he wants to be part of the team. Elliott is a lot better going forward than Curtis Jones is. Jones is good but he's much better playing further back and with possession than he is playing forward. Elliott should be our main back-up to Szoboszlai.

Not just Elliott, it's the same with Federico Chiesa and Endo - Slot needs to trust them and give them minutes to develop. They are good players.

Paul: It's an interesting one. Klopp conceded that he didn't use Harvey enough, and Slot seems even more reluctant. For me, he never has a bad game and is a quality player who should be given more minutes.

Yusuf: Elliott should play more - now that teams know that we attack using Gakpo and Salah on the flanks, using Elliott in the central attacking midfield spot for Szoboszlai and Jones at times will make attacks more fluid, and he can apply that killer pass to the wingers and catch defenders sleeping. Don't forget that he does get the odd goal from outside the box as well.

Sam: 100% agree with Jordan Chamberlain (BBC Sport fan writer) about Harvey Elliott. He changed the game at Brentford with two exquisite passes leading to goals when the game was heading for a potentially-costly stalemate. He deserves more game time as he offers something different to the Liverpool team with his vision and creativity.

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Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler has revealed an interesting theory over the much-publicised contract negotiations going on at the club.

The Reds face losing captain Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold for free this summer as all three are set to be out of contract.

The situation has garnered attention in spades given the high-profile nature of each player and their obvious contribution to a club topping the Premier League table.

Speaking to Amazon Prime, Fowler said: "I do have a little theory. I don't know if this is so far from the truth. I just think two of them have signed already. Maybe one hasn't. But then the simple fact is the club can't come out and say 'you two have signed' as it makes the other one look worse.

"I think there's a possibility that may have happened. If two sign and the club come out and say, it puts so much pressure on the other one."

Chris Sutton says Darwin Nunez "has nuisance value" after coming off the bench to win the game for Liverpool against Brentford on Saturday and it's Liverpool's strength of substitutes that will help them to win the league.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club Sutton said: "Arne Slot in the week said he wasn't getting the best out of Nunez - so for him to come on and make his mark as he did do.

"It wasn't to do with proving a point, he got his opportunity - he actually had missed an easy opportunity with a header and should have hit the target.

"But he still adds nuisance value."

He added: "Arsenal should never have let it [a two goal lead] slip against Aston Villa. But, there's no doubt Liverpool's strength in depth looks like it'll take them to the title."

Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer or listen on BBC Sounds

Liverpool are not considering accepting an offer for midfielder Harvey Elliott - in January or the summer window - despite his lack of first-team football. (Football Insider), external

Meanwhile, defender Ibrahima Konate is yet to sign a new deal with the club, despite having been offered one. (Telegraph - subscription required), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Jordan Chamberlain
Fan writer

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Darwin Nunez got the headlines on Saturday, and rightly so, but Harvey Elliott also made a massive impact off the bench.

The 21-year-old was involved in both goals in what was his most telling contribution of the season.

He has not had many chances this term, with Arne Slot preferring Dom Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones at number 10. Elliott got injured early on and has never been able to force his way in, tellingly not even coming off the bench in the 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest last week.

At Brentford, though, Slot gave him 10 minutes - and Elliott changed the game, proving himself as a creative force.

The midfielder found spaces between the lines and showed an ability to make intricate passes into the penalty area.

Szoboszlai is a better presser and more physical, while Jones is good at retaining possession, but Elliott has superior vision to both.

Hopefully, Slot will now use him more, especially against teams who park the bus, because Elliott has the ability to find attackers in the box instead of just spreading the play wide every time.

Jones has now got himself in the England squad, and if Elliott gets the minutes his talent deserves, he could too by the end of the season.

Do you think Elliott should be getting more game time, Reds fans? Where should Slot be using him? Are there any others who should be getting more minutes? And if so, in what games?

Let us know here

Find more from Jordan Chamberlain at Empire of the Kop., external

Luke Reddy
BBC Sport Senior Journalist

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Liverpool fans often point to the sight of an overjoyed Sadio Mane running towards a raucous away end at Aston Villa in November of 2019 as the moment they truly ended their long title wait.

The Reds needed months to confirm the honour but for many, the race was won when that glancing header beat Villa at the death. On such moments, momentum becomes an avalanche and titles are clinched.

Saturday's added-time drama at Brentford contained its fair share of delirium, not to mention an eye-catching moment that has fans talking. Was this the Mane header all over again?

When Darwin Nunez applied his finish in the 91st minute, the Uruguayan threw his shirt into the air and led a pack of chasing team-mates to the corner flag, where the Reds' travelling fans were losing their minds.

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The footage of the celebrations has become a viral social media hit,, external with Federico Chiesa's eyes-wide joy a prominent feature and Harvey Elliott playing a starring role.

Elliott sprints after Nunez, picks up the striker's tossed shirt from the floor and in a rhythmic, almost poetic manner, boots a pitchside ball high into the bouncing away end.

On a day when 37 shots had been fired at the Brentford goal, at the end of a week when Nunez was discussed at length by pundits expecting his imminent departure, and after a run of days where the word "blip" was used perhaps more than it should have been, Elliott's swipe punched through the January air, as roars poured down at him, his jubilant team-mates and a striker reborn for perhaps the fifth, sixth or seventh time in his Anfield career.

Following Mane's Villa Park header, Liverpool won 16 league games in a row.

Reds fans will hope Nunez's moment and Elliott's big boot prove to be as influential and, one day, as iconic.

Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate believes the partnership he has formed with captain Virgil van Dijk is the best central defence in Europe this season.

The Reds are six points clear at the top of the Premier league with a game in hand and three points clear at the top of the new League Phase of the Champions League with two games remaining - starting on Tuesday evening against Lille.

Arne Slot's side also have the best defensive record in both competitions, conceding just one goal in their European matches so far and 20 in their 21 domestically.

When asked in the pre-match news conference if his partnership with Van Dijk is the best in Europe, Konate said: "This season, yeah I think so. Everybody knows Virgil, everybody knows his quality. For me he is the best, no-one is better than him in this position.

"I learn a lot from him and from other players like [Joel] Matip, Joe [Gomez] and others who play this position as well.

"I never said it to him [Van Dijk] but I have said in interviews, I just want to be better than him one day!

"That's why I work hard, to reach this level one day."

Konate also confirmed he has been offered a new contract by the club with his current deal expiring in June 2026 but was not drawn into commenting further, adding: "This is another conversation."

Nat Hayward
BBC Sport journalist

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has been speaking to the media before Tuesday's Champions League game at home against French side Lille (20:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Slot said both Diogo Jota and Joe Gomez are expected to be back in "weeks not months" with Jota, who he said has overloaded a shoulder muscle, is expected to be back "a bit earlier than Joe".

• He believes Darwin Nunez has the potential to kick on after his double against Brentford: "The most difficult thing in football is to find consistency. Only a few players in the world are able to be at the same level every three days in a row. Next step for him is if he can go into the bracket of players who are outstanding every three days. It's a nice challenge for him."

• On Bees boss Thomas Frank's comments that the Reds are the best team in the world: "His opinion means something to me because he has shown at Brentford how well he has done for so many years without spending crazy amounts of money. But I think it's far too early to say these things. The Champions League format is different. We have to face a lot of teams."

• Slot is not over concerned by finishing top of the League Phase table: "The most important, when we go out there we want to win a game. I'm not thinking at the league table in a way that if you finish number one you get the easiest team because being on top doesn't tell you you're the best team. It's impossible to say because of the strange format we have."

• On improving attacking output: "We have scored more in the last eight, nine games. We've conceded a few too so we've needed these goals more than in the beginning of the season. I can't come up with why it has changed but we are working together and know even better what we want with the ball."

• On Tuesday's opponents: "I am not surprised but impressed. I was impressed by their manager Bruno Genesio at Rennes, at the way his team played. I've seen many games of them and I'm not surprised. They've deserved every single point."

Follow all of Monday's Champions League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

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Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott says he is ready to fight for his place in Arne Slot's team after returning from injury.

The 21-year-old, who played significantly under Jurgen Klopp, told BBC Radio Merseyside that he knows what he needs to do in order to be in Slot's first team.

"I just need to keep my head down, keep working hard and keep trying to help the team whenever I'm needed," he said. "It is just about waiting for my time.

"I was out with an injury, so I don't expect to be back and playing straight away and I will give it everything I can.

"If you look at the team now with the sprint distance the team is doing and the constant pressing, it is something I can do but I can improve it a little bit more so that it is effective.

"Liverpool is my club and my team and I want to fight for my place and position in the team. It is down to me to put the effort and desire in to make it achievable."

Listen to the full interview on BBC Radio Merseyside

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BBC chief football writer Phil McNulty has been answering your questions.

Joe asked: Are people trying to create a title race when there isn't one? All available evidence points to Liverpool by at least eight points.

Phil answered: There is still a title race because there are teams who can catch Liverpool, and they have to believe they can, but it would take quite the change for Arne Slot's team not to win the Premier League now.

Arsenal took a step forward against Tottenham then a step back against Aston Villa, and while Nottingham Forest are having a remarkable season under Nuno Espirito Santo, I cannot put my hand on my heart and say I think they will win the title.

If Forest get into Europe, even the Champions League, then that will be an incredible achievement alone.

Manchester City are simply too far back now.

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We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Brentford and Liverpool.

Here are some of your comments:

Brentford fans:

George: Thomas Frank talked about finally being able to go toe-to-toe with a top-side after the draw against City - you can't say we didn't do that again. The final four minutes will have absolutely crushed the team's spirit. I hope the fans and staff are able to build it back up again quickly - playing like that versus any other team in the league would have given us three points.

Uzzi: About as cruel an ending you could expect. Played so well against an excellent side, had some good openings but the penny just didn't drop. Always felt one goal would settle it, unfortunately it wasn't for us.

Will: We held on and held on and held on but could not get over the line. We did admirably having played City just four days ago. Can't help but wonder if perhaps a couple more subs were needed (Mee for Mads? Rico for KLP? Carvalho for Wissa?). We could have maybe put more fresh legs on and had a better chance. A good game with a disappointing result but we go again… COYB!

Ben: Could clearly see the tiredness from an amazing game on Tuesday took its toll. But still so proud of another strong performance against a top side. Even with key players missing we still manage to be competitive. Credit to the manager, coaching team and the players. Keane Lewis-Potter (a winger) playing at full-back and keeping Salah quiet the entire game has to be one of the defensive performances of the season.

Liverpool fans:

Rob: Nunez man of the hour, could not be happier for him. Szobo was also excellent, as were the back four. Credit to Brentford - they defended very well, often getting the better of our starting front three.

Sean: What a surprise end to that game! Nunez is certainly a workhorse but he needs to keep that end product coming else he'll be gone soon. The fact that Alisson and Trent were by far the stand out players is quite a concern. Midfield seemed baffled by the low block. Salah was hardly noticeable (hasn't been for a few games now), while Diaz and Gakpo hold on for too long. Chiesa and Jota need to be starting games. Bench Salah.

George: Great energy and intensity with lots of possession. Needed to be more clinical in the last third. Seem to struggle to find a way through teams with a low block. Mo seemed very quiet, not making so many telling runs into the box. I thought Trent played well. We need to work on set pieces as we had so many corners and never looked like capitalising. Substitutions worked well. We deserved the win but it could easily have got away from us.

Yusuf: A solid display and one that was much needed after the past few matches. Credit to Nunez - won us the game and has eliminated all questions over his confidence. Something to note though - all players celebrated after the final whistle and went over to the fans but Mohamed Salah. Has transfer speculation affected him over the past few games?