Liverpool

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

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has insisted that Trent Alexander-Arnold "will get a warm welcome" from him, while midfielder Ryan Gravenberch "will give him a hug" on the full-back's Anfield return.

Just months after he faced boos from supporters after revealing he would be leaving his boyhood club to join Real Madrid at the end of his contract in the summer, Alexander-Arnold could be set to walk out on the pitch in front of them again when the La Liga club visit in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

The club's staff seem certain of their own responses to seeing the 27-year-old again. Gravenberch said: "From the fans I don't know, but he's obviously a friend of mine so I will give him a hug of course."

Slot told reporters: "I can only tell you what kind of reception he gets from me. I only have good memories from him as a player and as a human being."

When it comes to fans, Alexander-Arnold will soon find out if time has healed fractures in the relationship and, with the Reds having struggled on the right in his absence this season, whether there will be any greater appreciation for what he did in the side.

So, what kind of reception are you expecting or hoping for should Alexander-Arnold feature on Tuesday night?

Get in touch with your views here

And read more about Alexander-Arnold's return here

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has been speaking to the media before Tuesday's Champions League game against Real Madrid at Anfield (kick-off 20:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Slot confirmed that goalkeeper Alisson, right-back Jeremie Frimpong and striker Alexander Isak are all out for Tuesday's match, with the former two also unavailable for Sunday's game at Manchester City.

• He said Sweden striker Isak will "definitely not start" at the weekend but could be in the squad.

• The Liverpool boss insisted that "Sunday's game is not in my thinking" when choosing his line-up to face Real Madrid and said that "the good thing is we won on Saturday - and that was about time for us to start winning again".

• On his message for fans after the difficult run: "I say to them, show up tomorrow and help us like they did on Saturday. They were a big help for the team and again tomorrow we face a team that's on a great run, just as Aston Villa was. Then it's always a pleasure to play at home.

• He reiterated the value of the home crowd in inspiring his team: "In the run we had, we almost only played away. On Saturday, Anfield showed how important they can be for the team and let's hope the fans do the same tomorrow evening."

• On playing Real Madrid and City in consecutive games for the second straight season: "Every game we play is a test because we're a new team. It's not the same as last season. Last season we played both at home - now one is away. Last season we faced a Real Madrid team that had many injuries and now they don't. It's not the same as we are a different team and now the injuries are back. We know every game we play is always a test."

• On the struggles endured by big money summer signing Florian Wirtz: "He has had an impact in many games but he has been unlucky with the end product, whether him or other players. He has brought what we expected, a player that can contribute a lot for the team. He will have his goals as well. If you're 22 or 23 and come from a different league, you need some time to adapt to the intensity of playing every two or three days. You had Ryan Gravenberch in before me and it took Ryan time to adapt to the intensity."

• Slot backed Dominik Szoboszlai to "bring all the qualities" he showed in the number 10 position against Aston Villa to any position he plays: "He has been influential in every game he has played, in every position I have played him in."

• Liverpool "respect" Real Madrid and their achievements in Europe, with Slot adding: "I saw a very good Real Madrid [last season] and I see that now. They have always been a big force in this competition. They are a very good team, but we are a very good team as well."

Catch up on all of Monday's Champions League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Listen to full commentary of Liverpool v Real Madrid on BBC Radio 5 Live from 20:00 GMT on Tuesday

Jordan Chamberlain
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Mo Salah's world-class goal against Brentford last weekend was ultimately irrelevant in the 3-2 defeat, but it might have been just what the Egyptian needed to relight his season.

Versus Aston Villa on Saturday night, Salah played with fire in his belly again.

He looked aggressive and direct, which is when he's at his best.

He enjoyed the physical battles with the defenders, something we've rarely seen all season. Salah used his body to shield possession and held the ball up well.

His goal looked like a simple finish, but it was with his wrong foot and a first-time effort. Salah just made it look easy.

Salah now has two in two and it thankfully looks like his drought is over. In all competitions, Salah has five goals and three assists, making it eight goal contributions in 14 matches.

He's been nowhere near his best and Arne Slot's tactics have not helped him, but these are still better numbers than every other winger in the top flight bar Antoine Semenyo.

Liverpool play well when Salah plays well. Our inability to get him on the ball and inside the penalty area has restricted our creativity massively.

Salah needs to work as hard as he did against Villa, but his team-mates need to pass him the ball as well.

Despite signing Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak in the summer, Salah is still Liverpool's most important attacking player.

Let's hope this uptrend continues.

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

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has said Wayne Rooney blaming a lack of leadership for the Anfield side's recent poor form is "lazy criticism".

The Reds won the Premier League title last season in manager Arne Slot's first campaign in charge but, after starting the 2025-26 campaign with five top-flight wins, they have fallen off the pace.

They suffered a fourth consecutive league defeat at Brentford last week and, following the loss to the Bees, former England and Manchester United forward Rooney said Van Dijk and team-mate Mohamed Salah had not "really led that team this season".

"I didn't hear him last year," Van Dijk said, external after Liverpool arrested their slide with a win against Aston Villa on Saturday.

"It doesn't hurt me. Just to come back to this particular player, obviously a legend, a big player of the game who inspired so many, I can say only positive things but I feel that comment is just I would say it's a bit of a lazy criticism.

"It's easy to blame the other players but he knows we do it together, trying to help each and every one of us to try to get out of this. Last year when things go well you don't hear that at all. It is what it is.

"[Pundits] have to do that job. He has an opinion and we have to deal with it. There's no hard feelings. I don't take it personally."

In his latest podcast Rooney says Van Dijk has been one the best defenders in the world over the past five years, but stands by his comments.

"I've got full respect for Virgil. I think he's a fantastic player," he said.

"My job now as a pundit is to give my opinions on what I feel.

"I'm sure if you ask him or Arne Slot, he probably hasn't been as good as he has been over the last few years. That was my comment which I stick by."

Read more here

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

Here are some of your comments:

Liverpool fans

Paul Evans: A lot better from the Reds - more energy and defended better.

Jan: We need to introduce our new players slowly so that change can be integrated carefully. Resting Milos Kerkez was a good idea, he needs pressure off, not pressure cooker level on every week. The 'Real' tests are following quickly on the back of this. Arne Slot is not a disaster but this past month has been a test of character and leadership. The Slot Machine can function but maybe it is a slower build this time.

Garry: A more disciplined performance from Liverpool, no doubt due to the more settled midfield trio. However, Villa caused their own problems. I doubt either Real Madrid or Man City will provide such gifts! Hugo Ekitike is rapidly becoming a revelation and Mohamed Salah will no doubt gain confidence from his goal. Think Andy Robertson should be a regular choice at left-back.

Dax: It was a back-to-basics display with Liverpool pressing hard and further up the pitch. Dominik Szoboszlai was in electric form and Conor Bradley showed why he deserves to be a regular starter - his determination to win the ball back showing the mettle that is needed to win games. Small tweaks bring large rewards; that was the mantra last season, so it was telling that Slot chose to stick with last season's winning formula with Ekitike and Giorgi Mamardashvilli the only changes. Good result all round.

Dave: Best performance of the season for me. Reason being, we controlled a game of football for long periods, which we haven't done all season. Frankfurt was good, however they gave us lots of space. Here we had to do the work get control.

Aston Villa fans

Mike: There have been some dispiriting defeats for us this season but strangely I don't think this was one of them. The faults were plain for all to see including some exasperating complacency from Emi Martinez when passing out but on the whole I was pleased with the performance. Nice to see Morgan Rogers showing some of his considerable talent and I thought the way we began to fight back after the second goal gave cause for hope. Biggest worry is the injury list especially with a busy week ahead.

Michael: Game decided by Martinez's panicky pass - Villa brought all the pressure on themselves via their inability to play out through Liverpool's high press. Unai Emery must take some blame for this - he never varied the way Villa attempted to play out from the back, constantly inviting pressure on the back line.

Adrian: Thought we did OK overall. Looked good in patches, and not overawed at all. Another Martinez mistake and a clueless 'off script' punt from Pau Torres, combined with a lack of clinical finishing ultimately cost us. We gave Liverpool a good go, but the 'double whammy' of missing the chances we create for ourselves and creating chances for them will destroy progress at this level. Need to be more clinical, cynical, and aggressive mentally.

David: Just our luck to get last season's Liverpool XI instead of this one's. Not a terrible performance but sloppiness at the back cost us again. Another subdued performance from Ollie Watkins who should have been giving Ibrahima Konate nightmares. He needs competition - cancel Harvey Elliott's loan and get someone who really befits a number nine shirt as soon as possible.

Mal: An inadequate performance reflecting a poor defence. Mistakes all over the park. The high line and lack of flexibility in style cost us at least a draw. Ollie looks like he wants away. Most of his performances this season seem to lack interest. The January window will be vital for the rest of the season and it is up to Emery to get the right players.

Image source, Getty Images

Former Liverpool goalkeeper David James says the Reds "looked confident and happy" again as they secured an "important win" against Aston Villa on Saturday.

Six defeats in seven games in all competitions had piled the pressure on Arne Slot, but his decision to play a more familiar starting XI paid off at Anfield.

"It was a really good performance," said James on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast. "They looked confident and happy.

"They won two halves of a game of football - which is something they have not done in a long time - and the team selection sent out a message from Arne Slot because it was about the older squad players.

"The big money signings of the summer were on the bench and they looked happily different.

"The midfield looked like they knew what they were doing and that helped Alexis Mac Allister get more into the game.

"It was an important win.

"The fans also got behind Slot before the game which helped although I don't think most Liverpool fans were worried about him."

Listen on BBC Sounds

Liverpool's chief scout Barry Hunter was at Fulham on Saturday to watch their £35m Brazilian winger Kevin, 22, feature in a 3-0 win over Wolves.

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Arne Slot on the backing of supporters during and after Liverpool's 2-0 win over Aston Villa: "It means a lot," said Slot. "It happened at 0-0, not when you are leading, not when you are top of the table, but when you're in a difficult situation for the club, for the team and for me.

"To get the support the players got, the support I got, is what makes this club special. They don't forget if you have been a part of something special and they help you when things are difficult.

"We were not winning games, we were losing them and the fans felt the players needed some support - that's what you get from these supporters."

Virgil van Dijk speaking to TNT Sports after Liverpool's win over Aston Villa: "What I've noticed over the last few weeks is that there's a lot of noise that you have no control over and we have to deal with that as a team.

"Some of the takes are ridiculous, but you deal with it. Outside noise can reach certain players, but we stick together.

"We live in a world where everyone can have their own opinions on so many platforms and they know better. We have to stay away from that and focus on the hard work we are doing.

"Last season, we did some negative stuff but everything was all sunshine and rainbows everywhere. Now it sounds like we're going to be in a relegation battle - that's how it works in the world."

Did you know?

• Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 106 Premier League games at Anfield in which they've opened the scoring (W96 D10), with Crystal Palace in April 2017 being the last side to come back from 1-0 down and win there in the competition.

• Mohamed Salah became just the third player in Liverpool's history to reach 250 goals for the club (250th tonight), after Ian Rush (346) and Roger Hunt (285).

Pundits Alan Shearer and Ashley Williams join host Gabby Logan to bring you the action and talking points from Saturday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

• Nottingham Forest 2-2 Manchester United

• Tottenham 0-1 Chelsea

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has been speaking to BBC Match of the Day following the win: "The margins are small every single game. After five minutes they hit the post. We didn't concede a set piece, which was helpful, but also we got a bit lucky, which hasn't happened recently. Our second goal was a deflection.

"When they hit the post, that was their biggest chance. Over the last few weeks, every time that ball went in but this time it didn't. Our second goal was a bit of luck, something which we haven't had in the last few weeks.

"The good thing about being 1-0 or 2-0 up is that you can control the game a bit better with more possession, but if you are trailing then you have to chase the game, take risks and risk being counter-attacked.

"I think everyone who was here felt the importance of this game - the players and the fans as well. We showed character and won the game."

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk also spoke to TNT Sports about the performance: "Winning always feels good and keeping a clean sheet after forever felt good as well, but it is only one win. Now it is about recovering and focusing on the next one.

"We were good in possession and we were finding the spare man. We decided they would press with two strikers, so our number six would be free at times if we played the ball quickly enough.

"We made good runs in behind, had opportunities to score goals and the defending as a team was good - that made a difference."

Did you know?

• Liverpool are unbeaten in their past 106 Premier League games at Anfield in which they have opened the scoring (W96 D10). Crystal Palace were the last side to fightback from 1-0 down and win there in the competition (April 2017).

• Mohamed Salah became just the third player in Liverpool's history to reach 250 goals for the club, after Ian Rush (346) and Roger Hunt (285).

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

Have your say on Liverpool's performance

What did you make of Aston Villa's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

After making 10 changes for the 3-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, Liverpool boss Arne Slot returns to his strongest side available.

Andy Robertson and Alexis Mac Allister are the only two players that started in midweek to stay in the side, while midfielder Ryan Gravenberch returns after an ankle injury.

Club-record signing Florian Wirtz is among the substitutes.

Liverpool XI: Mamardashvili, Robertson, Van Dijk, Konate, Bradley, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Gakpo, Salah, Ekitike

Substitutes: Woodman, Pecsi, Gomez, Kerkez, Endo, Nyoni, Wirtz, Chiesa, Ngumoha

Midfielder Emiliano Buendia misses out for Aston Villa with an ankle injury, while forward Harvey Elliott, on loan from Liverpool, is not allowed to play against his parent club.

Just the one change from the side that beat Manchester City on Sunday as Evann Guessand comes in for Buendia.

Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Digne, Torres, Konsa, Cash, Onana, Kamara, McGinn, Rogers, Guessand, Watkins

Substitutes: Bizot, Lindelof, Mings, Bogarde, Maatsen, Barkley, Malen, Sancho, Broggio

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

• Brighton v Leeds

• Burnley v Arsenal - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2

• Crystal Palace v Brentford

• Fulham v Wolves

• Nottingham Forest v Manchester United - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Tottenham v Chelsea (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Liverpool v Aston Villa (20:00)

Kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Burnley v Arsenal" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Tottenham v Chelsea", for instance.

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

Liverpool boss Arne Slot made a lot of changes for Wednesday's Carabao Cup defeat by Crystal Palace, but it still felt like another damaging defeat - their sixth in the past seven games.

Slot's side play Real Madrid and Manchester City after this, so they desperately need to end this slump in form before it gets any worse.

He rested players against Palace for this weekend, so he knows how important it is. But, on current form, Aston Villa are favourites because they have won their past four league games and are on a roll.

Looking at both teams over the past few weeks, you would expect Villa to get something here - but I need to use all of my knowledge to get the better of AI..

So I'm going to base my prediction on something that I thought about when I was a player: history.

Villa have taken only one point from their past seven visits to Anfield and have only won one of their past 15 league games against Liverpool, although that was a 7-2 success in October 2020.

I had my bogey teams - most of them felt like that by the end, to be honest - and I don't think AI will understand that part of the game.

So I'm going with Liverpool to win, with Mohamed Salah getting a hat-trick.

Sutton's prediction: 3-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Jordan Butler
BBC Sport journalist

An out-of-sorts Liverpool entertain an in-form Aston Villa with the two clubs only separated by goal difference in the Premier League table. BBC Sport explores some of the key themes ahead of Saturday night's clash at Anfield.

Liverpool's unprecedented loss of form

The defending champions' drop-off in league form is unprecedented, with the Reds the first team in English top-flight history to win their opening five matches and lose their next four.

Arne Slot's side suffered only four Premier League defeats in the entirety of last season and two of those came after they had already clinched the title.

This weekend they could lose five league matches in a row for the first time since September 1953.

A midweek League Cup loss to Crystal Palace lowered the tone at Anfield even further, although Slot decided to name eight teenagers in his matchday squad and rest the majority of his preferred Premier League team.

Strangely, the visit of Aston Villa might be the necessary tonic for Slot's ailing side. Liverpool have won six of their last seven league clashes with Villa at Anfield, drawing the other. They've also lost just once to the Midlands side in 15 Premier League meetings, drawing three and winning 11.

Villa's red-hot form

Aston Villa are one of just two Premier League teams on a current run of four consecutive victories in the competition, along with league leaders Arsenal.

The upturn in Villa's form is a complete contrast to their opponents and if Unai Emery's side take all three points then they would become just the second side in top-flight history to fail to win any of their first five games and then triumph in the next five in a row, following Preston North End in 1936.

A key protagonist in Villa's mini mid-season revival has been right-back Matty Cash and the 28-year old has signed a new contract at the club until 2029.

The Polish international scored the only goal of the game against Manchester City last Sunday and is one of only four players to score twice from outside the box in the Premier League this season, along with Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo, Brighton striker Danny Welbeck and Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo.

"To be honest, I've always had a good shot, I've just never really shown it in games," Cash said last weekend. "This season it seems to be going my way and every time I get the ball on the edge of the box, I've got confidence and feel like I'm going to hit the target a lot of the time."

However, history is against the visitors this weekend. Not only is their recent record against Liverpool abysmal, but the Villans have also lost their past 11 games against the defending Premier League champions, conceding 35 times in the process.