Liverpool

Manchester City are unchanged from their last Premier League game against Bournemouth, but make three changes to the side that beat Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Captain Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias and Rayan Cherki all start, with Tijjani Reijnders, John Stones and Savinho dropping to the bench.

Midfielder Rodri is not involved for Pep Guardiola's side.

Manchester City XI: Donnarumma, Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O'Reilly, Gonzalez, Silva, Foden, Cherki, Doku, Haaland.

Subs: Trafford, Reijnders, Stones, Ake, Marmoush, Ait-Nouri, Savinho, Bobb, Lewis

Liverpool are unchanged from their impressive victory over Real Madrid during the week, which means Florian Wirtz - who was linked with a move to City during the summer - keeps his place in the side.

The Reds have options to bring on in attack as Alexander Isak is on the bench, alongside Cody Gakpo and Federico Chiesa.

Liverpool XI: Marmadashvili, Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson, Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Salah, Wirtz, Ekitike.

Subs: Woodman, Gomez, Endo, Kerkez, Isak, Chiesa, Jones, Gakpo, Ngumoha.

There are five games in the Premier League on Sunday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Aston Villa v Bournemouth - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2

• Brentford v Newcastle - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Crystal Palace v Brighton - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 3

• Nottingham Forest v Leeds - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Manchester City v Liverpool (16:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 14:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction from the 14:00 games here

And go here for Man City v Liverpool

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Aston Villa v Bournemouth" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Man City v Liverpool", for instance.

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

Did Liverpool turn a corner with their great win over Real Madrid in midweek? Maybe, but this will show us where they are really at.

I feel like these two teams have cancelled each other out when they have met in recent years, but this time it feels like a game they both have to try to win - and it is Manchester City I'm backing to come out on top.

The big call for all Fantasy Premier League managers is whether to triple-captain Erling Haaland. I'm not going to do that, but I do think he will score. Seriously, how can you go into any game at the moment and think that he won't?

Whoever wins this, I feel like both teams are fighting for second place anyway, because I don't see anyone catching Arsenal now.

People sometimes get angry when I say things like that, but I do think they will win the title from here and I've changed my prediction from before the season started when I went for Liverpool.

I don't often do that so early, but I don't think Liverpool can win it any more. We've already seen in the first 10 games how they are too vulnerable defensively, and then you look at how good Arsenal are at the back.

It is a similar story with City. I feel they will need Rodri at his very best to push the Gunners, but his injury problems don't appear to be over.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Tom McCoy
BBC Sport journalist

Pep Guardiola celebrates a milestone versus a Liverpool side who beat Manchester City twice last season. BBC Sport examines some of the key themes before Sunday's match.

Guardiola takes charge of his 1,000th game as a manager this weekend, reaching the landmark against the club that have proved his most formidable adversary.

The Catalan has lost a joint-high 10 fixtures versus Liverpool in his career, equalling his number of defeats against Tottenham.

Meanwhile, of the clubs he has faced six times or more, the Reds are the only team against whom he has a losing record. The 54-year-old has won six and drawn eight of 24 meetings, with the 2019 Community Shield, won by City on penalties, classified as a draw.

His side lost both of last season's encounters 2-0 but will take confidence from their strong recent record at the Etihad Stadium.

City have registered victories in 11 of their past 12 home matches in all competitions, winning each of the last six by at least two goals.

Erling Haaland, meanwhile, has 27 goals in 17 games for club and country this season and 98 in 107 career appearances in the Premier League. He needs two more to become the fastest player to reach a century in the competition, breaking the record set by Alan Shearer after 124 matches.

Are Liverpool getting back to their best?

After a recent run of six defeats in seven games, Liverpool have claimed consecutive wins against Aston Villa and Real Madrid, with Tuesday's Champions League victory particularly impressive.

Though the Reds only had 38.8% possession, their lowest figure since March, they kept the visitors at arm's length and were the far more threatening side.

The Merseysiders had nine shots on target to their opponents' two, while their expected goals figure of 2.51 dwarfed Real's tally of 0.45 – the Spaniards' lowest xG in any competition for a year.

Mohamed Salah had a relatively quiet night in midweek, registering just two shots and completing only 11 passes.

But if there is one man likely to spoil Guardiola's millennial milestone it is the 33-year-old Egyptian, who has been directly involved in 15 Premier League goals against Manchester City, more than any other player in the competition's history.

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says Liverpool have delivered the rivalry of his career as he prepares to manage his 1,000th game.

Guardiola's side host the Reds on Sunday, the latest fixture in a back-and-forth rivalry that has seen the clubs consistently compete for the title - scooping the last eight in a row between them.

Across his career, Guardiola has faced Liverpool 24 times, winning on six occasions and losing 10 times.

While he will come up against Arne Slot on Sunday, the Anfield club's former boss Jurgen Klopp has beaten Guardiola 11 times across their careers, while the City manager has 10 wins against the German.

On Friday, Guardiola explained if he could choose one club to face in his 1,000th game, Liverpool would be fitting.

"If I was to choose one rival, personal, of course I want to share it with many people but that would be the best," he said.

"Liverpool have been the biggest rival in this country so it could not be better to be honest. Jurgen Klopp gave me a lot and I miss him. It was a sense of to beat that guy how much I have to work and be better. I think we pushed Liverpool to be better and Liverpool pushed us to be better, that's for sure."

Image source, Getty Images

Dominik Szobozslai says Liverpool "missed" elements of a togetherness and fighting spirit during a dire run of form before recording back-to-back wins in the past week.

The Reds - who face a trip to Manchester City on Sunday - lost six out of seven games before beating Aston Villa and an eye-catching display packed with endeavour to defeat Real Madrid on Tuesday.

"That's what we've missed. Everybody could see against Real Madrid all of us running, fighting, being there for each other, covering each other's back," Szobozslai said.

"The most important thing is to keep going like this. There is a long way to go. Now it's all about the Premier League and facing Manchester City at the weekend. We know how good they are now."

Liverpool's poor run of form may prove costly in their bid to retain the Premier League title as they now sit seven points behind leaders Arsenal, though Szobozslai is not yet concerned about the state of the table.

"The season is long," he said. "If we were seven points clear at this stage nobody would be saying we had won the league already. Last season when we were leading the way, we just stayed calm and kept on going because anything can happen.

"We just need to focus on ourselves, win our games and then let's see what other teams are doing. When everything works, everyone is happy and it's all positive - it's easy to stick together. The hardest thing is when you find yourself in a position where we were a few weeks ago - but even then we stuck together and kept on going, believing it would turn for us."

Many Liverpool fans have used social media to praise Szobozslai as one of the club's star performers this season. BBC Sport's Liverpool fan contributor Chole Bloxham told readers on Thursday he was becoming the "heart and soul" of the team. The Hungarian has featured in multiple positions, contributed key assists and struck a stunning winner to beat Arsenal earlier in the campaign.

At his news conference before the trip to City, Reds manager Arne Slot was told Szobozslai's display against Real Madrid was not dissimilar to those so often delivered by club legend Steven Gerrard.

"That's probably the best compliment he can get," said the Dutchman. "He's been outstanding throughout the whole season but these two games [Madrid and Villa] brought even more out of the team and out of him.

"Dom has a lot of qualities but I like his work without the ball every single game - and in the past two games that was probably even above his own standards."

Karan Vinod
BBC Sport journalist

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Manchester City at Etihad Stadium (kick-off 16:30 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Slot said he needs to check on the fitness of Andy Robertson: "He started three games in seven days because he played against Crystal Palace. I felt he was tired [against Real Madrid], but we have to wait and see. We had recovery the day after and a day off yesterday, so let's see where he is today."

• Alexander Isak "will train for the first time with the team today after three weeks out". Meanwhile, Slot gave updates on some other injured players: "Alisson, for sure [back after international break]. I expected Jeremie [Frimpong] back as well after the international break. but not fully fit."

• Slot referred back to his comments earlier in the campaign about Isak's "pre-season" ending three weeks ago. He said he now expects to see him "where he is". The Liverpool boss reiterated that after being out for three weeks, it is unfair to compare "rehab with games or training sessions", and urged both fans and the media to "give him some time".

• On Florian Wirtz playing on the left flank: "Florian can play in more than one position. It's about getting him in the positions where he is good rather than focusing on whether he is a 10 or an 11 [left wing]. We would like to have him in and around the 18-yard box, centrally or a bit more on the left or right, to create the chances."

• Slot stressed that his attention remains solely on his players rather than the Premier League title picture. He added that Liverpool's "main focus is on consistency" at this stage of the season.

• The Dutchman said he "wasn't surprised" by the outcome against Real Madrid, explaining that both Madrid and Aston Villa's styles of play suited Liverpool and that it was "expected", something he described as "always helpful".

• On the Reds' uptick in form: "It helps that the team plays more and more together. I can come up with all kinds of arguments on what had led to this kind of performance, but that's kind of boring, as people might say he is using the wins for the excuses for his losses. It has been two good games, although I liked our performance more against Manchester United than against Villa."

• Slot was full of praise for Dominik Szoboszlai, noting that the midfielder "has been outstanding throughout the season". He added that the recent matches against Villa and Real Madrid "brought more out of him for obvious reasons, but I don't want to say the same things over and over again". The Liverpool boss went on to highlight that Szoboszlai "has a lot of qualities and one of them is his work without the ball".

• On facing Manchester City: "Playing them away from home is one of the most difficult challenges you have throughout the season, although every away game is difficult. I think that's what City have felt this season as well, as they have lost two away games. Very interesting game to look forward to."

• Slot also revealed his admiration for Pep Guardiola's sides, saying that when facing them, you get "10 out of 10 times what you are hoping for - a great game of football with no time-wasting or things that I start to dislike more and more about football."

Listen to BBC Radio 5 Live commentary of Man City v Liverpool at 16:30 on Sunday on BBC Sounds

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

How to follow the Premier League on the BBC this weekend

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Manchester United great Wayne Rooney has said he was perhaps a "bit harsh" for suggesting Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk had "downed tools" after signing a new deal with the club.

Rooney said in October that Van Dijk's body language was a "big concern" and that he had failed to lead the team this season.

The Dutchman, who signed a new contract at Anfield towards the end of last season, described the criticism as "lazy".

Following Liverpool's Champions League win against Real Madrid on Tuesday, Van Dijk was interviewed on Amazon Prime, who had Rooney as a pundit.

"The comment that I signed my new deal and then it was like 'that is it' and I let it slide, I think that was a bit... but that's my personal opinion and we move on," said Van Dijk.

• Not a Liverpool fan? Follow your Premier League club on BBC Sport

Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show, the former England captain said: "Maybe I was a bit unfair because I don't know him that well as a person."

However, Rooney says he stands by his comments about the level of Van Dijk's displays for the defending Premier League champions this term.

"From a performance point of view, I was speaking about what I felt and what I was seeing, and I felt I was right," added Rooney.

"Van Dijk will judge himself by them [high standards]. When he reflects on his performances this season, he'd be the first to say they haven't been at the standard he's set."

Watch The Wayne Rooney Show on BBC iPlayer or listen on BBC Sounds

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

Arsenal might not be putting a foot wrong at the moment, but are Manchester City and defending Liverpool champions still in the title race with them?

Whether 10 games is still too early to make a fair judgment of how a season might pan out, it does provide a good marker for comparison with just over a quarter of the campaign gone.

The fewest points a team has had after 10 games in the Premier League and gone on to win the title is 18 - something achieved by both Manchester clubs, with United doing so in 1992-93 and 2002-03 and City in 2020-21.

By both winning last weekend, Manchester City and Liverpool have avoided having to make Premier League history by winning the title with fewer than 18 points after 10 games.

However, the most points a team has been behind the leaders after 10 matches and still gone on to claim the trophy is six - something again achieved by both Manchester clubs, with United doing so in 2002-03 and City in 2013-14.

As both the Gunners and City picked up three points last weekend, it means they have the same points as in 2013-14, when City were six points behind then leaders Arsenal and still won the title (25 v 19).

On the other hand, Liverpool are - according to history - effectively out of the title race as they now sit seven points behind the north London side and overcoming that difference at this stage of the season has never been done before.

The Gunners' six-point lead is, in fact, the joint-biggest ever after 10 games of a Premier League campaign and it is just the third time in the competition's history a team has had such a big lead at this stage - with both Chelsea in 2005-06 and Liverpool in 2019-20 going on to win the title on those occasions.

Another positive sign for Arsenal supporters is that the three points picked up against Burnley last Saturday has taken them to the average number of points at this stage of the campaign for title-winning teams (25 - average is 24.7).

So, while much of the historical data points in the direction of the Premier League trophy heading to Emirates Stadium at the end of the season, this is football - and records are there to be broken.

Stats provided by BBC Sport statistician Chris Collinson

Image source, Getty Images

With the countdown to the Celebrity Traitors final under way, we asked you which Liverpool player or manager - past or present - would make the best traitor and faithful.

Here are some of your comments:

Shae: Wataru Endo would be a brilliant traitor as he is too sweet to ever be a suspect but he doesn't mind getting his hands dirty.

Sonny: The best traitor? I would put my money on Florian Wirtz with his quiet disposition. As for the faithfuls, I would want Andy Robertson to be leading the charge and Ibrahima Konate as well. Their humour could sniff a traitor out from miles away. Whatever you do, don't make Jeremie Frimpong a traitor. He wouldn't be able to keep a straight face!

Ayman: Virgil van Dijk would be the best traitor by far - very measured and calculated. He can really spin anything and, as our skipper, not many people would suspect him. As for the faithful, Mac Allister would be the best for sure - he would definitely be one of the most liked and trusted players.

David: Tommy Smith as a faithful for his uncompromising defending. Known as the 'Anfield Iron', he would have taken traitors out quickly. Mo Salah as a traitor. His beaming smile, even in moments of adversity, would build the trust needed to get through the day and the round table.

Alan: The obvious traitor, in a pantomime villain way, is Trent Alexander-Arnold. I think people might go with Steven Gerrard as a faithful, but he did manoeuvre to leave a few times and wasn't a true one-club man in the end - so I will go with Jamie Carragher, who always said no club was better than Liverpool.

You can watch the final of The Celebrity Traitors live from 21:00 GMT on BBC iPlayer

Watch highlights as Alexis Mac Allister's well-placed header earns Liverpool a thoroughly deserved 1-0 victory over Real Madrid in the Champions League at Anfield. Despite the narrow scoreline, the Reds dominated for large spells, with Thibaut Courtois producing a string of superb saves to keep the 15-time European champions in contention.

In the studio, Gabby Logan and Stephen Warnock break down an impressive Liverpool display - highlighting the standout performance of Conor Bradley, whose composure and defensive discipline effectively nullified the threat of Vinicius Junior throughout the night. It was a statement win for Arne Slot's side, showcasing their tactical control and resilience against one of Europe's elite.

Tom McCoy
BBC Sport journalist

Five teams from one country had never all won in a single round of the Champions League matches prior to this season.

But Premier League sides did exactly that this week, as they did in the previous round of games. English sides have won 17 of 24 fixtures so far, a win percentage of 71%.

The richest league in the world is leveraging its financial muscle, and if this consistency continues, it could result in the Premier League earning a 'bonus' Champions League place for the team finishing fifth, as was the case last year.

Juventus plan to open contract negotiations with Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal target Kenan Yildiz, 20, and expect the Turkey forward to stay in Turin. (Teamtalk), external

Real Madrid have pulled out of the race for Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi, 25, who is out of contract in the summer, with Liverpool and Bayern Munich more likely destinations for the England defender. (AS - in Spanish), external

Liverpool and Tottenham are keeping tabs on Wolfsburg's Greece defender Konstantinos Koulieraki, 21. (TBR Football), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Image source, BBC/Studio Lambert

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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Image source, Getty Images

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.

• Not a Liverpool fan? Find and follow your club

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