Phil Neville
BBC Radio 5 live in Anderlecht

"You will see the counter-attack from Anderlecht tonight. Cyriac has real pace. The number 10 Dennis Praet looks a really tidy player too.

"When you have pace up front it will always make teams nervous. Especially this Arsenal back four.

"Cyriac is testing Nacho Monreal early on."

Image source, AP

Clumsy. Nacho Monreal bodychecks Cyriac and goes into the book. Not what the stand-in centre-half needed, a very early yellow card.

Anderlecht are having a good spell but have yet to test Emiliano Martinez in the Gunners goal.

Image source, EPA

The first goal of the night comes in Turkey with Borussia Dortmund going 1-0 up against Galatasaray thanks to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

That could help Arsenal further down the line.

Cristiano Ronaldo has his first run out on the left wing - beats Glen Johnson with embarrassing ease before firing a shot at Simon Mignolet in the goal. Easy enough save from the Belgian but the first danger signs from Ronaldo.

Forever Young:, external Say what you want, but something tells me Balotelli believes he is the best player on this pitch tonight.

Agubata Odinaka:, external Rodgers will do well to borrow Mourinho's bus and park it well in front of Mignolet. It always works for Jose, why not Rodgers.

Russell Pope:, external Liverpool going out of the UCL will be a good thing. Rodgers struggling to juggle both. Concentrate on top four.

Big call for referee Nicola Rizzoli! Jordan Henderson switched play with an early crossfield searcher, the ball is allowed to bounce by Pepe and Raheem Sterling smells the danger. If he gets a touch he's away, but Sterling hits the deck under very close pressure from Alvaro Arbeloa.

Is that a foul?! Rizzoli says no. It was a shove in the back - simple as that. Bright start from the hosts.

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BBC Sport chief football writer Phil McNulty at Anfield

"Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers may spend quite a bit of the next phase of his career doing this - less than two minutes in and he was whistling at Mario Balotelli trying to attract the striker's attention after he lost the ball too easily."

Lovely stuff from Alexis Sanchez as he skins his man on the right before cutting the cross back, it runs on into the path of Santi Cazorla. The Spaniard has to hit it first time and gets it all wrong - shanked off his shins and high and wide into the stands. A horrible, horrible shot!

Image source, Reuters

What a frustrating man Mario Balotelli is. He brings the ball down nicely, turns and runs at the Real defence. Raheem Sterling streaks up no his shoulder and is crying out for a through ball but Balotelli goes it alone and loses the ball. Had to go wide!

Cristiano Ronaldo is loudly jeered as he has his first touch - and is instantly fouled by Jordan Henderson. That could be Henderson's job tonight. Seek and destroy.

Phil Neville
BBC Radio 5 live in Anderlecht

"The stadium reminds me a bit of Loftus Road, where the stands are on top of the pitch - small, compact, not many empty seats.

"It's a big night for Arsenal as they often finish second in the group and then get the big draw and that's why they don't progress past the last 16."

Image source, Getty Images

And we are also under way in Belgium.

Liverpool will attack the Kop in the first half after Real Madrid win the toss. Here we go!

The Champions League anthem is loudly received at both of our games tonight. Anfield is rocking, no doubt about that. Liverpool must start well and start hard.

Image source, Conor McNamara on Twitter

Mark in Lancashire: I cannot wait to see Mario Balotelli flounder in tonight's game. An absolute shame for Liverpool and clearly a "deluded" moment in the great Mr Rodgers' mind to think that he could ever get anything out of him. "Big game player"? We will see!

Marc in Portsmouth: I'm running out of patience with Balotelli, has must at least put a shift in tonight!

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger on Sky Sports: "This match is an opportunity to put us closer to qualification. We know we need an away performance to get out of this group - and this is the opportunity to do it."

Anderlecht goalkeeper Silvio Proto looks close to tears in Brussels. Come on son, get it together...

'You'll Never Walk Alone' booms out at Anfield. Scarves are raised high, a flag proclaiming Liverpool as 'European Royalty' is hoisted high.

If Liverpool are Royalty, what does that make Real Madrid? Gods?