Liverpool

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Challenges. Leaders and followers. Tactics. Second guessing and wondering where to turn next.

This could be any game of football in the Premier League this weekend.

It is also the plot to any episode of BBC's hit show - The Traitors.

The countdown to the end game of the Celebrity series is on, but, while we wait for that, we want to know which Liverpool player (or manager) - past or present - you think would make the best traitor, and who would be more suited to the role of a faithful.

Was it the way they could appear at the back post without anyone noticing? Or could they stop anybody getting past them?

Get in touch with your choices and the reasons why here

The Celebrity Traitors final will air on Thursday, 6 November on BBC One and iPlayer

English sides are excelling in the Champions League.

Three wins out of three last night - all with clean sheets - maintained the early Champions League dominance by English sides as the league phase nears the halfway point.

Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham occupy one of the top-eight spots that guarantee automatic qualification for the last 16, with Chelsea, Manchester City and Newcastle all seeking to join – or replace – them by winning tonight.

English teams have averaged 2.3 points per game in the Champions League this season, far exceeding any of the other four nations that have three or more sides in the competition.

Success breeds success and England is currently well clear at the top of Uefa's co-efficient rankings. These are based on results across the three European competitions and determine which two leagues will earn an additional Champions League spot for next season.

It granted the Premier League a fifth spot last season - and currently England is in prime position to secure the same prize again this time around.

Liverpool fan Chloe Bloxam believes Dominik Szoboszlai is "the heart and soul" of the side at the moment.

Szoboszlai assisted Alexis Mac Allister to score Liverpool's only goal in their 1-0 victory over Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday.

"What an absolutely imperial footballer Dominik Szoboszlai is, he is simply sensational," Chloe said.

"On the ball, he has all the qualities of an incredible midfielder. Off it, the hard yards, the work effort, you can tell he's a leader.

"He's obviously captain of Hungary, and he is showing that this season.

"The leadership skills, he's raising the levels of the people around him.

"It feels like everything Liverpool does well, it comes from Szoboszlai.

"He is the heart and soul of this Liverpool side, everything goes through him."

Find more from Chloe Bloxam at The Redmen TV, external

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool right-back Conor Bradley is getting plenty of plaudits for his performance against Real Madrid - and rightly so.

The defender, just as he did in last season's Champions League fixture against the Spanish giants, barely put a foot wrong during his full 90-minute appearance.

Bradley was able to nullify the threat of Vinicius Jr all evening and help the Reds to a second successive clean sheet in all competitions.

After the match, the 22-year-old posted some images on Instagram with the caption: "Enjoyed that one! Thank you Anfield" accompanied by a red love heart emoji.

And his team-mates were quick to respond in the replies, including fellow right-back Jeremie Frimpong, who is currently out with a hamstring injury.

"Talk about locking someone," Frimpong wrote alongside a couple of side-eye emojis.

Nottingham Forest defender Neco Williams also commented on Bradley's post with a padlock emoji.

We'll leave you to guess who they were talking about...

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock believes Dominik Szoboszlai is the Reds' unsung hero in midfield, after another "impressive performance" from the 25-year-old against Real Madrid on Tuesday night.

Arne Slot's side ended a spell of six defeats in seven games in all competitions with a win against Aston Villa on Saturday and backed it up by overpowering their La Liga opponents at Anfield.

"Arne Slot has been trying to get some continuity in his back four and midfield," Warnock said on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast. "They were trying to get back to what they were doing best last season and they did that against Real Madrid.

"It's a huge step forward and now it's about drip feeding their newer players in, but first they will have to come to terms with how Liverpool play and why Liverpool were successful last season.

"Over recent weeks it has been a bit too easy to get at Liverpool's defence through their midfield, but it's almost as if they've had a meeting and the defenders have told the midfielders that they need to be protected more.

"Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch weren't great at the start of this season, but they have been really impressive in the past two games. They have to continue that form now.

"It's imperative you have those two on the pitch but when you add in Dominik Szoboszlai, wow! The energy he has, the recovery challenges he makes and the way he gets to the edge of the penalty area is so impressive.

"There was talk about Florian Wirtz taking his place but he has said: 'Absolutely not, you're not having my place'."

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We asked for your thoughts after the Champions League match between Liverpool and Real Madrid on Tuesday.

Here are some of your comments:

Yusuf: What a performance. Even though it was only 1-0, we were able to get our shots away, which were brilliantly saved by Thibault Courtois. Conor Bradley was excellent, demolishing Vinicius Jr throughout the match. This is a positive sign after the storm of negative results we have been having and hopefully more wins like this to come in the future. Still work to be done.

Killian: Great performance - the balance of the team was great to see and we weren't as open as we have been. I think Alexis Mac Allister is a big part of that, along with Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch. Bradley was incredible. Florian Wirtz on the wing works and is the solution for when Mohamed Salah is at Afcon. Roll on City!

Andy: I thought Liverpool were excellent. They rarely disappoint against attacking teams. The modern challenge is to beat teams who park the bus, are hard to break down and defensively astute in facing Liverpool with a 'grab-a-point' mentality. I believe, in time, they'll find a way though and the new players will play a part in this too- certainly Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike.

Mike: Great to see us dominate a top side, just as we did last season. Defensively solid - clean sheet to boot - and if it hadn't been for Courtois, the 4-0 defeat of Real at Anfield could well have been surpassed. Delighted for Arne Slot too. He has made mistakes this season no doubt, but had the courage to return to his 'old pair of shoes' for the difficult walk this week, and that has paid dividends. Three points against City and Wayne Rooney will need to issue a formal apology!

Adrian: Our best performance of the season by a long way. So happy for Wirtz... A lot of comments have been made about how he would fit into our best team. Now we know.

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Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

On a raucous night at Anfield, Conor Bradley fuelled the fury and scorn aimed in Trent Alexander-Arnold's direction with a magnificent display against Real Madrid. He reduced the formidable Vinicius Jr to a passenger that was only able to offer theatrics – poor theatrics at that – in the face of the youngster's physical dominance.

Every Bradley tackle was cheered to the echo, every pass greeted with Anfield's approval and his name chanted with gusto, not just for his own efforts but as a voluble reminder to Alexander-Arnold that there was a new kid in town, that he was now firmly a figure from the past.

Bradley, unsurprisingly, even won the admiration of head coach Arne Slot.

"Conor Bradley was outstanding," he said. "To be up against Vinicius so many times one against one is not for everyone, but he was outstanding."

It was a day of unrelenting ill-feeling aimed in Trent Alexander-Arnold's direction, from his mural near Anfield being vandalised with the words "Adios El Rata" before the game to the Anfield anger provoked by what many Liverpool fans regard as his betrayal.

If the insults daubed on Alexander-Arnold's mural did not make him aware of what was awaiting him, he was left in no doubt when he trotted on to warm up as one of Real Madrid's substitutes before kick-off, jeers ringing around Anfield, the sound of disapproval repeated when his name was read out.

And just when it looked like he might escape the full-scale vitriol, Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso introduced him as an 81st-minute substitute as they tried to level Liverpool's lead, deservedly given to them by Alexis Mac Allister's header just after the hour.

The response to Alexander-Arnold's arrival was savage, as were the mocking jeers that greeted a late cross that drifted aimlessly out of play.

Alexander-Arnold's unhappy cameo was played out to the sound of Liverpool's fans reminding him of those who had stayed loyal despite temptations and opportunities to leave Anfield, namely former captain Steven Gerrard, who watched on from the stands.

This was Liverpool's night, Bradley's night - the sort of night Anfield revels in as the presence of their former star acted as an even more potent catalyst to turn up the volume.

Read Phil's full piece

Image source, The Sun/The Daily Mirror

Alexis Mac Allister is dominating the back pages after scoring Liverpool's winning goal against Real Madrid for the second year in a row.

Arne Slot's side looked back to their best at Anfield as late substitute Trent Alexander-Arnold received a frosty reception on his homecoming.

Image source, The Guardian/The i

Liverpool boss Arne Slot says his former player Trent Alexander-Arnold remains "very special" to him after he returned to Anfield on Tuesday night.

Alexander-Arnold was given a fiercely hostile reception when he came on as substitute during Real Madrid's 1-0 defeat against his boyhood club.

Asked whether he spoke to Alexander-Arnold after the game, Slot said: "Only shortly afterwards, I gave him a hug.

"I don't know exactly what I said, but probably not a lot.

"Every time I meet him, I will either talk to him or give him a hug.

"He's been very special to me as a player and as a human."

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool boss Arne Slot, speaking to Amazon Prime: "Very pleased. It's been [some] tricky weeks for us, many away games, hardly any rest in between every single game.

"Again, we only had two days in between this game but the same was there for Real Madrid. It helps if you can play in front of these fans and you can play in front of Real Madrid because I think that brings the best out of my players and out of our fans.

"A great performance against a team that only lost once all season. It could have been a bit more maybe."

On getting a second consecutive clean sheet: "I said before the game that they have scored 26 goals in La Liga, and [Kylian] Mbappe and Vinicius Jr together have 24 goal contributions. So, if you want to win this game you have to make sure that these two are not on the scoresheet.

"The whole team defended really well, in the high press and the low block. Conor [Bradley] was outstanding. To be up against Vinicius so many times one-v-one is not for everyone. He did outstanding today."

On dealing with such a poor run: "It is nicer if you win games than if you lose as a manager. If you lose then it takes all of your time because you so badly want to change it but you also try to be the same manager and person that you are when you are winning.

"I did the same, told them that with our set-piece balance it is really hard to win games of football, open-play chance creation was good all season apart from the Aston Villa game, which we won. So I tried to tell them what was actually happening instead of all the noise around them.

"The only thing I can do is tell them my opinion and hope it is strong enough for them to believe me."

"Sunday [against Manchester City] is another game coming up against a very strong team. We have lost too many points in the Premier League but in the Champions League we are doing well. We need to do better and that is what we are going to try and there's a lot of games coming up for us to show that."

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer at Anfield

Image source, Getty Images

Conor Bradley has long been regarded as the heir apparent to the vacancy left behind by Trent Alexander-Arnold, and the 22-year-old Northern Ireland defender showed exactly why with an outstanding display.

Liverpool's fans revelled in Bradley's physical battle with Vinicius Jr, chanting his name to the echo while reserving their fury for the local boy who left Anfield behind.

Bradley's progress has been curtailed by injuries, but he was the symbol of a Liverpool display which carried all the old intensity and creation that deserted them during their recent run of losses.

Dominik Szoboszlai was outstanding in midfield, only denied by the brilliance of Thibaut Courtois, while match-winner Alexis Mac Allister's return to form in the past two games has also transformed a side that looked lost earlier this season.

Liverpool's defence never yielded to Real at any point, and it was only when Courtois was at his defiant best that it looked like the Reds might not get the win that pushes them up into sixth in the table, a standing that would earn them automatic passage into the last 16 without the need for a play-off.

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk, speaking to Amazon Prime: "I think there was a lot of energy and a lot of hard work. Obviously, they have won 14 in the last 15 - they have a lot of quality. We know their strengths.

"So, we had to be spot on in everything we do. I think we performed our gameplan perfectly.

"It is easy to say now because we won twice in a row - in a world of chaos you have to stay calm and see perspective of things."

On standing up to criticism from pundits: "I am living with players that might have been affected by it. If you lose a game for Liverpool - four, five games – there is criticism - that is normal in a sense.

"It is over the top at times. I think it's because we live in the world of so many platforms, so many people can say stuff, and it can be picked up. Ex-players that played at the highest level had difficult moments as well.

"I want to perform for the team, the club and everyone who supports us through thick and thin."

On keeping a clean sheet: "You can see at the moment Arsenal are flying, and it is down to clean sheets and not conceding chances.

"We have the quality to hurt anyone on the break - it starts with the defending. Today you saw the hard work.

"We have to keep going. Sunday is going to be another difficult one. We all know how football works - it can change over night."

Midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, also speaking to Amazon Prime: "I think it was a good game against a really good team. A win, but we know it doesn't mean anything - the experience last season, we finished first and then after that we were out quite early."

On Thibaut Courtois: "He is a fantastic keeper - we all know. He had a few saves, so again I think he is a really good keeper, but today I think we were better and deserved to win."

Did you know?

• Florian Wirtz created five chances from open play for the second time in a Liverpool shirt (also vs Atletico Madrid), the only Premier League player to do so in more than one game across all competitions this season.

• Alexis Mac Allister scored his third goal in the Champions League and first since last November, when he also put the Reds 1-0 up at Anfield against Real Madrid.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Get in touch with your views

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

Liverpool make one change from the starting XI that beat Aston Villa on Saturday. Florian Wirtz starts in place of Cody Gakpo, who is on the bench for the Reds.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is named among Real Madrid's substitutes on his return to Anfield, after leaving Liverpool for the Spanish club in the summer.

There are nine games in the Champions League on Tuesday and BBC Sport will be bringing you every moment.

• Napoli v Eintracht Frankfurt (17:45)

• Slavia Prague v Arsenal (17:45) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Atletico Madrid v Union Saint-Gilloise

• Bodo/Glimt v Monaco

• Juventus v Sporting

• Liverpool v Real Madrid - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Olympiacos v PSV

• Paris St-Germain v Bayern Munich

• Tottenham Hotspur v Copenhagen - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

All kick-off times 20:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction

You can also listen to 5 Live commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Liverpool v Real Madrid", for instance.

Find out more about how to listen to football on BBC Sounds

Watch highlights of every Champions League game from 22:00 on Wednesday on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.

There will also be a Champions League Match of the Day on BBC One on Wednesday, from 22:40 to 00:00.

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

Image source, Getty Images

So Liverpool managed to stop the rot with a win against Aston Villa, though it was a result aided by some inadequate passing out from the back from the Villans. Mohamed Salah was the beneficiary, scoring a desperately needed tap-in.

It signalled a reversion to what had worked so well for the Reds last season. Liverpool have had to rest some players, and there have been injuries too, but when a win was absolutely necessary, back came Salah as well as the Ryan Gravenberch, Cody Gakpo, Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister core.

It is not just about quality of the players - personalities are vital at times like these. Eventually Arne Slot has to revamp the group but he now understands this has to be done in a more considered way.

The most fitting case in point is Andy Robertson. The Scot was always going to have a battle with the younger Milos Kerkez who was brought in as his replacement for £40m. The problem is that during the recent run of four league defeats, Arne ignored his loyal left-back Robertson even though he was clearly needed by the team. New isn't always better.

To Slot's credit he did eventually step away from those convictions, if maybe a little grudgingly, and brought Robertson back for the Villa game. Revolution not evolution may well be what Slot wanted this season but that is dangerous.

Overlooking those who got you to the top in the first place doesn't always go down well, especially with his fellow workers who like and respect him.

We all make mistakes, Slot may have rectified his biggest one regarding the pace of change.

Sign up to read more from Pat Nevin in his Football Extra newsletter

Image source, Getty Images

Former Liverpool player Robbie Fowler believes Liverpool can use Trent Alexander-Arnold's return to their "advantage" by making the atmosphere "more intense" for Tuesday's Champions League visit of Real Madrid.

Alexander-Arnold is set to return to Anfield for the first time since his summer transfer to Madrid.

The English full-back has featured just four times for Los Blancos in the league so far this season after picking up a hamstring injury in September.

However, Alexander-Arnold has returned to the bench in their last two games, and has the chance to start against his former club.

"I'm looking forward to seeing Trent. I don't want them to get a result obviously, but I appreciate he was and still is a world class player, and a big miss for Liverpool," Robbie Fowler told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"We can all have opinions on what we should do, but I think the majority will understand and respect what he did for Liverpool.

"I think they'll let their feelings be known, and give him a bit of a hard time.

"Liverpool could use that to their advantage, it could be used to inspire the crowd and make the atmosphere a little bit more intense as Liverpool get into Real Madrid on the front foot."

BBC Sport's chief football writer Phil McNulty believes Alexander-Arnold can expect a mixed greeting if he does feature against his boyhood club.

"I suspect it will be mixed. When he announced last season he was leaving, many fans made their feelings clear when he was brought on as a sub against Arsenal with loud booing," McNulty told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"Feelings were hurt, he was a local boy and part of a great Liverpool team, and he left at the end of his contract.

"Emotions are running high, plenty will welcome him, but I suspect a few others might not."

On Monday, Real Madrid representatives including Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dean Huijsen and manager Alonso visited Anfield and placed a wreath in memory of Diogo Jota.

The card written by Alexander-Arnold read: "My mate Diogo, You are so missed but still so loved. Yours and Andre's memory will always live on. I smile everytime I think about you and will always remember the great times we shared. Miss you mate, every day. Love Trent and family."

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso speaking to media on the eve of his side's Champions League meeting with Liverpool at Anfield: "It's a Clasico of European football, Real Madrid and Liverpool because of their history in the Champions League, and it's one of those games the fans really look forward to seeing. Trent and I have history here at Liverpool, and it's always great to come back to a place where they have loved you so much. We are coming to do our thing tomorrow, which is to play well and come away with a good result."

On his time at Liverpool and Benitez and how it has influenced his career: "A lot because it wasn't a simple step. I had long periods as a player and I learnt a lot from Rafa about elite football, to analyse details, prepare for games, and I also had the curiosity and which helped me to be in the position I am right now. And if you like football, you want to be in one of Europe's big teams, like Liverpool, and they helped me a lot as a player and as a manager, too."

Image source, Getty Images