Fabinho and Alisson were impressed by Trent Alexander-Arnold's performance in a new role for Liverpool against Leeds United.

The Reds routed their relegation-threatened opponents 6-1 at Elland Road on Monday, with Alexander-Arnold pulling the strings.

The 24-year-old has been much-maligned this season for his defending, but showcased his impressive passing range as he regularly stepped into midfield alongside Fabinho, Curtis Jones and Jordan Henderson, while also covering right-back in defensive phases.

Speaking to Liverpool's official website, Fabinho explained it is not that much of a change for his team-mate, who often found himself drifting into the midfield from right-back anyway.

"Trent is somebody [who is] really good on the ball, with his quality of pass and finding players in behind," the Brazil international said. "We can really use this.

"In this position, of course he will have less time to think, but I think he's a little bit used to being in this position. Even when he played right-back, he likes to drop a little bit and go to the middle. We can really use his quality of pass.

"In the last game [v Leeds], he gave two assists and was really good – not just with his passing, but his reaction was good as well. I think in the academy he played as a midfielder, so he knows a little bit about this role and it was not hard for him."

 

Alexander-Arnold claimed two assists on Monday, becoming just the fourth player to do so in a Premier League game while also completing 100+ passes and maintaining a pass accuracy over 90 per cent since records began in 2003-04 (after Santi Cazorla v West Bromwich Albion in 2015, David Silva v Newcastle United in 2020, and Paul Pogba v Newcastle in 2021).

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson added: "This game was a really good example of [Liverpool's counter-pressing] – the way that we react.

"Not only Trent going from the midfield and then going to the side, but other players knowing that we need to have a good reaction on the counter-press or getting back to their position, buying time.

"We dealt really well with the chances that the opponent had for counter-attacks – we stopped them so often in the game. As Fab said, this always gives you a good feeling on the pitch. That's something that we want to keep with us."

Jurgen Klopp's men host Nottingham Forest on Saturday as they look to make a late run for the European spots, currently sitting in eighth place, nine points behind Newcastle in fourth with eight games remaining.

"Football is quick," Alisson added. "We have a different opponent now in front of us. They have their goals, they need to reach their targets. We have ours as well. We come from a game where we found our way back and they come from a game they lost [2-0 at home to Manchester United].

"They want to show a response, for sure, for their supporters, for themselves. But we are focused on things that we need to do and prepare as best as we can to get on the pitch. It's a home game, it's always good to play [there], to have your supporters there helping you.

"I hope Anfield will be on fire on Saturday afternoon."

Under-fire Liverpool must prove their desire remains intact when they host Everton in Monday's Merseyside derby, says goalkeeper Alisson.

Last week's 3-0 thrashing at Wolves extended Liverpool's wait for a first Premier League win of 2023, leaving Jurgen Klopp's men mired in mid-table and 11 points adrift of a top-four place. 

Only once in the Premier League era have Liverpool started a calendar year with a longer winless run (five games in 2017), while they have also failed to score in their last three league outings. 

Liverpool's struggles have led to suggestions a team which almost landed an unprecedented quadruple last season needs to be rebuilt, while some have even called Klopp's position into question.

Speaking to the club's website ahead of Monday's huge derby, Alisson said: "It's a difficult moment – we recognise that. 

"I think the first step you need to make for changing the situation is recognising your real situation. 

"We are doing that. For this week, we have time, we are working hard. We know the importance of a derby. 

"We know the importance and the meaning for us to have a good performance, to show to our supporters that we still have the desire inside of us. We are going to do that and try to win the game."

Despite Liverpool's negative results, Alisson believes there have been some positive signs in recent games, and he is backing Klopp's team to turn their miserable season around.

"During the matches, we have a few good moments, so we can say we are playing at 75, 80 per cent of what we can play," he added. 

"We have to put [in] more, we have to give extra things for the team – not only in terms of football but in excitement, in attitude, supporting team-mates, everything that is in your hands to try to change our situation. 

"We understand that and we're going to use everything that we have in our hands to turn around this moment, this situation. I believe it is just a moment and we're going to get out soon." 

A horror-show performance from Alisson condemned holders Liverpool to an FA Cup third-round replay after they were held 2-2 by Wolves on Saturday.

The Reds goalkeeper was at direct fault for the visitors' opener and leaked a soft second, as Goncalo Guedes and Hwang Hee-chan netted at Anfield.

Goals from Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah dug Jurgen Klopp's men out of danger between those Wolves strikes, while Cody Gakpo also impressed on his club debut.

Yet the lapses at the back proved costly for the holders, and Julen Lopetegui's visitors will feel they had their chances to claim an underdog win outright against the holders.

They certainly seized their opportunity in the 26th minute when Alisson fired a routine clearance straight to the unmarked Guedes, with the Portugal international lashing a low finish straight back past the Brazilian.

But Liverpool wrestled themselves back on the stroke of half-time after Nunez tucked home a sublime cross from Trent Alexander-Arnold with a deft volley.

Seven minutes after the interval, Gakpo helped put the hosts ahead after Salah finished his chipped ball, with the forward played onside by a botched Tote Gomes clearing header.

That looked like it could have been enough for the hosts, but Alisson was at fault again after Hwang was able to smother a tame shot past him at the left post in the 66th minute.

Hwang's goal sparked a frantic final stretch, with Wolves seeing a third goal chalked off by the linesman's flag in the closing stages, as neither could ultimately find the winner that would have avoided the need for a reunion at Molineux down the line.

Alisson warned Liverpool cannot make excuses for their below-par performance against Leicester City as they target an improvement at Brentford.

Two calamitous own goals from Wout Faes gifted the Reds a 2-1 victory over the Foxes at Anfield on Friday – their fourth consecutive win in the Premier League.

However, Jurgen Klopp's men were criticised for their display, having fallen behind to Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's early goal and looked vulnerable at the back.

Liverpool have an opportunity to move ahead of fifth-placed Tottenham when they visit the Brentford Community Stadium on Monday, and Alisson goalkeeper knows they need to do better.

"The only thing we could take from Friday was the win and the effort we put on the pitch," the Brazil international told LFC TV.

"But there's a lot of space to improve. Looking at the performance, we have to do a lot better if the ambition is to keep achieving the goals that we have in front of us.

"We have high expectations and the supporters have high expectations about us. 

"Liverpool is a huge club which will always try to fight for titles and to be there at the top all the time. We have to do more, but we know that.

"We cannot rely on excuses. It was only the second game we have played after the World Cup. The players who had time off used that to prepare themselves. The ones who went to the World Cup could train and then rest to prepare for this moment.

"It's going to be a really important moment of the season now and we have to focus. We have to do better.

"Sometimes it's just a matter of mentality. It's not that easy to change it but we can do that for sure."

Liverpool have scored three or more goals in each of their past five meetings with the Bees.

The Reds have only scored three or more goals in six consecutive games against the same opponent once, versus Fulham between 1986 and 2000.

Brazil should have no regrets despite their failure to progress beyond the World Cup quarter-finals, says goalkeeper Alisson.

The Selecao drew 1-1 with Croatia after extra time at Education City Stadium on Friday, with Bruno Petkovic having cancelled out Neymar's record-equalling opener.

Brazil could not regain the momentum in the shoot-out, with Rodrygo missing their first penalty and Marquinhos hitting the post with his attempt as Croatia claimed a 4-2 triumph to seal their place in the last four for a second World Cup running.

Alisson was unable to keep out any of Croatia's penalties but he believes Brazil – who will also be under the tutelage of a new coach after Tite reiterated his plan to leave his post – should not reflect too harshly on their performance in Qatar.

"I think what went wrong is that it's football – anything can happen," Alisson said.

"People talked about us as favourites because of what we did on the pitch, because of our performances, because of the quality of our players.

"I said before, we don't have anything to regret, we would not change anything because we fought, prepared ourselves and were ready to try and win the World Cup.

"This is football, things don't always happen the way we want. No regrets, we look forward to the challenge that's in front of us."

Alisson conceded "the frustration is huge" but added: "We are proud of the dedication of each player, of the things we did on the pitch. The performances were really good.

"In my opinion we didn't deserve to lose this game, in the World Cup though there can be penalties and unfortunately we were defeated on that."

Brazil certainly had the better of the match prior to the shoot-out, with Croatia's only shot on target coming when Petkovic's effort deflected in off Marquinhos.

The Selecao had 21 attempts, mustering an expected goals (xG) of 2.55 to Croatia's 0.63. 

Alisson's opposite number Dominik Livakovic was in outstanding form, making 11 saves – he was only beaten by Neymar's moment of brilliance, which drew Brazil's talisman level with Pele's record haul of 77 international goals.

Neymar, who might have played his final World Cup match, had to be consoled by his team-mates after the match, while striker Richarlison was in tears when he spoke to the media.

Alisson, though, suggested the setback will only make Brazil's squad grow.

"We're going to have players who have to step up now, show leadership," he added. "We have so many players who can lead a team, so many who do that already, even the young players.

"We have young talents who will improve even more, learn from this World Cup and we have more experienced players as well who can still contribute.

"Now it's difficult to think about the future, because we have so much pain at the moment, but hopefully the future will be bright for us. We have just to take this defeat, learn from that and keep on going."

Virgil van Dijk says Liverpool "never doubted" the quality of Darwin Nunez following the striker's recent upturn in fortunes.

Nunez endured a frustrating start to life at Anfield following his big-money move from Benfica, receiving a straight card against Crystal Palace in just his third appearance under Jurgen Klopp.

However, the Uruguay international is starting to hit his stride in English football; his two goals in Saturday's 3-1 win over Southampton taking his tally for the season to nine.

"We never doubted his quality but obviously, when you have a price tag like that and the goals are not flowing like you want, it's good [he has shown character] and I think he's done very well," Van Dijk said.

"He has all the qualities for a modern-day striker. There is a reason why we bought him, and he's maturing, he's stayed patient, kept his head down and played and that's a credit to him. Hopefully, he can keep scoring and stay important for the group.

"Obviously, he learns how we want to play, he learns what we expect from him, he plays a little bit on the left, but also has a free role coming into the middle.

"It takes time. It is a new team, new environment, new country, new language, so it is absolutely normal for him to take a little bit more time [to settle in], but there is no doubt the qualities are there, and the goals will follow."

Van Dijk also heaped praise on goalkeeper Alisson, who made a string of impressive saves to keep Southampton at bay during the victory at Anfield.

The Netherlands skipper additionally highlighted Roberto Firmino's character, with the forward opening the scoring against the Saints after being left out of Brazil's World Cup squad.

"[Alisson is] important for the group on and off the pitch," Van Dijk added. "We don't want him to have to make saves, first and foremost. He had to do so [against Southampton] and he was outstanding.

"Brazil are a very good team, they have two of their best goalkeepers in their squad and in my opinion, the best goalie in the world is Alisson.

"I think Bobby [Firmino] should be in, but who am I to say that? He took it on the chin, all you can do is recover and be ready for the rest of the season and I think he will do that."

Alisson says Liverpool must rediscover their consistency to turn around their poor season, calling on the Reds to draw on the experience of recovering from a disappointing 2020-21 campaign.

Having won both domestic cups and finished as runners-up in the Premier League and Champions League last term, Jurgen Klopp's team have endured a dire start to this season.

Liverpool sit eight points adrift of the Premier League's top four ahead of Sunday's trip to Tottenham, and Alisson says Klopp's men must bounce back in the same manner they did two seasons ago – when they finished an injury-disrupted campaign in third.

"We always have belief," Alisson told Sky Sports. "We have the understanding that things are not going so well for us so far. 

"We have to be realistic. We have to be humble as well, to accept it, to fight more and to recognise what is going wrong and to change it.

"That is part of our team, being humble, fighting. We know that sometimes we cannot be the best on the pitch, but we will be the ones who fight the most. This is what we have done so far, and it worked out in other seasons for us.

"We can't forget the season we had before the last one, when we had to fight a lot. We struggled in the competition because of injuries, because of outside circumstances, but we came back.

"Something we all have in common, something we all agree on, [is] that we have to find our consistency again.

"Everybody is used to seeing it in our team. We, the players, and the people as well. A consistent Liverpool, conceding only a few goals, keeping clean sheets, scoring, winning games."

Liverpool are still yet to win an away Premier League game this season, their worst such run from the start of a campaign since 2006-07 (a sequence of seven), and would slip 13 points behind third-placed opponents Tottenham with a defeat on Sunday. 

Klopp's side are therefore under huge pressure to claim a result in north London, but Alisson says they must shut out the noise as they bid to change their fortunes.

"It [pressure] is part of football," he added. "It is not something that is easy to deal with. But we have all played football for a while now, and I understand that this is part of it.

"You are going to have pressure from the outside world, from the supporters, from the media. Only playing for a big club are you going to have this kind of pressure.

"I see it as normal, but we have to fight back, and our response has to be on the pitch with performances. What we can't do is let the criticism affect us and bring us down more."

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson said he and his team-mates told each other to "stick together" during their recent difficult run of form.

The Reds won just two of their first eight Premier League games as they fell away from any talk of the title race in the early weeks of the season.

However, back-to-back 1-0 home wins against Manchester City and West Ham have restored some feel-good factor at Anfield, with the Brazilian's penalty save on Wednesday helping his team narrowly beat the Hammers.

A 22nd-minute header from Darwin Nunez put Liverpool in front, before Jarrod Bowen was brought down in the box by Joe Gomez just before half-time.

However, Alisson dived down to his right to palm Bowen's spot-kick away, before some nervy defending in the second half eventually led to a win for Jurgen Klopp's men.

Speaking to Amazon Prime after the game, Alisson said: "Since the beginning of the season we have big goals to win trophies, to fight for every competition that we are in.

"Things didn't work out so good for us. We started well with the Community Shield [victory] against Man City, an important game against an important, big opponent. It gave us a little bit of confidence but we didn't use that for the Premier League and then suddenly we lost confidence during the games, we lost players as well for injuries.

"And this is something that affected the team, the rhythm, some players coming back from a long time not playing. All the circumstances around affected us a little bit. On the pitch as well, performances weren't so bad but they weren't enough to get the three points, to get the win.

"We just stick together – it was something that we were speaking about a lot, to stick together at this difficult time, difficult moment. Working hard, working every day – not only on matchdays.

"Now things are coming out, the results are coming but we don't have to be too excited about that. We have to keep our feet on the ground and just stick together, keep on working because it's a long and tough season for everybody."

Alisson has only conceded seven of the 13 penalties he has faced in the Premier League (54 per cent, with two saved and four off target), the lowest percentage of any goalkeeper to face at least 10 spot-kicks in the competition.

Nunez's goal was his first at Anfield as a Liverpool player, and his fifth in all competitions since arriving from Benfica at the end of last season.

"We are helping him a lot, we keep him really close," Alisson said of the Uruguayan striker, who had six shots against West Ham before being taken off before the hour. 

"He's a really good lad. I know that it's not easy, it's really difficult to settle in a different country. When I came here, I knew a little bit more English than him – he's learning. He's working hard on that – not only on the pitch but outside to learn English.

"He's a really disciplined man and we are trying to help him, help Lucho [Luis Diaz]. We are a really strong team who works together and sticks together all the time when we are at the training ground.

"Sometimes outside the pitch we come together to spend time together – and this is important not only for him but for his family and for all our families."

Liverpool secured a second 1-0 win in the space of a few days after beating West Ham in the Premier League on Wednesday.

Darwin Nunez's first-half header was enough to seal the points for Jurgen Klopp's men, his first goal at Anfield for his new club.

West Ham were second best for most of the game but will still be disappointed to leave empty-handed after Jarrod Bowen saw a penalty saved by Alisson just before the break.

It ends a run of five games without defeat for David Moyes' team, while Liverpool followed up their impressive victory over Manchester City on Sunday.

The first chance of note came in the 15th minute when a long pass from Thiago Alcantara found Nunez, whose fierce 25-yard strike was tipped over by Lukasz Fabianski.

But the Uruguayan was not to be denied seven minutes later as he ran onto Kostas Tsimikas' pinpoint left-wing delivery to head past the despairing Fabianski into the far corner of the net.

Liverpool almost scored again when Nunez rattled the post from the edge of the box but nearly had their lead wiped out just before half-time.

Bowen was felled in the box by Joe Gomez, only for Alisson to save the England international's resulting penalty low to his right.

Jordan Henderson and Roberto Firmino went close to adding to the hosts' lead in the second half, while Kurt Zouma hit his own crossbar with an attempted block.

West Ham could have snatched a late equaliser when the ball fell kindly for Tomas Soucek in front of goal, only for substitute James Milner to deflect it off target and ultimately seal the win for Liverpool.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has confirmed Alisson and Diogo Jota will not be available for Saturday's Community Shield clash with Manchester City, but the goalkeeper should be fit for the start of the new Premier League season.

Alisson sustained an abdominal injury in Liverpool's opening pre-season outing, a 4-0 loss to Manchester United in Bangkok two weeks ago, and has missed their three friendlies since then.

Speaking earlier in the week, Klopp suggested that Alisson still had a chance of taking part against City at the King Power Stadium this weekend, but the Brazil international has now officially been ruled out.

On a more positive note, however, Klopp revealed he expects his first-choice keeper – who started 36 of Liverpool's 38 league matches last season – to be fit in time for next week's Premier League opener at Fulham.

"Alisson trained today more today than the day before and will definitely be available for Fulham, but not for the weekend," Klopp said at his pre-match news conference on Thursday.

Klopp also announced that forward Jota is still not available, having yet to feature for the Reds this pre-season after suffering a recurrence of a hamstring injury, adding it "will take a while" before the Portugal international will be considered for selection again.

 

With Caoimhin Kelleher also unavailable, Liverpool are likely to go with third-choice keeper Adrian in goal this weekend in a curtain-raising showdown between last season's Premier League and FA Cup winners.

Including occasions when the trophy was shared, Liverpool have won the Community Shield 15 times, a tally bettered only by Manchester United (21) and Arsenal (16).

And having lifted the Premier League, Champions League, EFL Cup, FA Cup, European Super Cup and Club World Cup across his seven years at Anfield, Klopp is motivated to add a new trophy to his collection.

"It's a very important game. It's the last domestic cup competition we haven't won yet, so we'll give it a try," the German coach said. "It's a very important game, but we still have to prepare for a whole season. 

"I can't ignore the fact that after the game is a season – we will have to extend our pre-season into the season."

Saturday's match will be Liverpool's first competitive outing since losing May's Champions League final to Real Madrid, but Klopp insists that defeat was soon out of his system.

"It took me a day [to get over it] and then we had the parade," he said. "We knew it was a close game and we were unlucky in moments but it's sport and we accept the rules. 

"We played in a high level, consistent and were deserved winners in the games we won. We have to do it again this season."

Liverpool lost on penalties to City in their only previous Community Shield encounter in 2019, with the game finishing 1-1 in normal time, and also lost in a shoot-out to Arsenal a year later.

Jurgen Klopp has conceded Diogo Jota will likely miss the Community Shield final for Liverpool, while Alisson "should be fit" to face Manchester City.

Jota sat out of the pre-season opener in Bangkok on Tuesday, a 4-0 defeat to Manchester United, before Alisson joined the forward on the injury list ahead of the 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace on Friday.

Klopp had previously suggested he was concerned by a recurrence of Jota's hamstring issues, the forward having initially aggravated the problem he suffered when away with Portugal on international duty in June.

After victory over Palace in Singapore, where Mohamed Salah and Jordan Henderson were on target, Klopp provided an update on the injured duo.

"Ali, I think, has the chance for City and Diogo not," Reds manager Klopp told reporters as he discussed the upcoming Community Shield on July 30.

"Ali, he feels a muscle, abdominal. It's nothing serious but, again, we prepare a full season. So he can train but just not like before, so he should not play in the moment. Not normal goalie training but he has a pre-season, so he doesn't lose time. 

"But yeah, these kind of things happen. The boys have to travel a lot and train and you never know exactly. 

"It's only little things, nothing serious but we have to be careful because the rest of the season is much longer than the start."

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was another to limp off in the pre-season clash with Patrick Vieira's side, and Klopp hopes the "top-class" England international will soon recover from a muscle injury setback.

"Of course, it's very disappointing for us because Oxlade trained all the time really well since the pre-season started," he added.

"It happened obviously with Ox in the past when it gets more intense and something can happen. Now this is just a muscle thing and that's OK. We had worse situations, so I'm OK with it. 

"I don't know exactly how long it will take but he will be back and then it's all fine. He is obviously a top-class player and he can help us."

As injury fears mount, Klopp's attention turned to the upcoming Qatar World Cup, with July effectively serving as the first pre-season before unselected players will have to keep fitness across November and December.

Klopp, a regular critic of the Nations League and international football schedule, labelled this pre-season as like no other as he lamented the lack of concern for player welfare.

"Normally our pre-season is always the basis for the rest of the season, this time we have the first part of the season that's interrupted," he continued. 

"We are already kind of used to it because with the pandemic we had breaks and starting again.

"So it's not completely new to us anymore and when these players have time off, for example, if they are not at the World Cup, they never have real time off, they have a training schedule to fulfil so they don't lose a lot in these periods, which is very important for us.

"That's why we can give them at least as long as possible time off with family and holiday and stuff like this, but they just need it.

"Apart from that, the World Cup is for all top teams in football pretty much the same, especially in England it's the same because we play immediately.

"If you are in the final or the third-place [game] then you play again a week later - and then you play 26th, 31st, 2nd and stuff like this.

"Obviously the guys in the Premier League like the spectacular. I've said it often enough, nobody really cares about the players in these moments but that's how it is."

You could be forgiven for feeling a sense of deja vu when Liverpool take on Real Madrid in the Champions League final at the Stade de France on Saturday.

The two European giants faced off in 2018 in Kyiv, with Los Blancos running out 3-1 winners thanks to, among other things, a sensational Gareth Bale overhead kick.

Four years later Liverpool and Madrid ready to battle it out to be crowned kings of the continent, with 19 European Cups/Champions Leagues already between them.

Just how much have the two teams changed since then, though? Stats Perform has taken a look at both to see if there are any similarities and marked differences to expect in Paris.

From nearly men to trophy collectors

One of the many reasons defeat in Kyiv hurt for Liverpool was it would have not just been another Champions League success, but the first trophy won since Jurgen Klopp had taken over.

The German coach had been at Anfield since October 2015, and while there had been clear progress, it had not yet manifested in the form of silverware.

The idea that the loss was merely a bump in the road on the start of a journey has since been proven correct, as Liverpool have since hoovered up a Champions League, Premier League, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, EFL Cup and FA Cup.

At the time, though, it may not have felt that inevitable given the Merseyside club went into the final having finished fourth in the league, 25 points behind champions Man City, having also been knocked out of the EFL Cup in the third round and the FA Cup in the fourth round.

As well as making the final, the 2017-18 season was memorable for the Reds acquiring one Mohamed Salah, who went on to score 44 goals in all competitions.

They lost Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona in the January transfer window, but signed Virgil van Dijk from Southampton to help out a troubled defence.

The team that started against Madrid included at least six players you would think will start in Paris in Trent Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, Andrew Robertson, Jordan Henderson, Salah and Sadio Mane, while James Milner and Roberto Firmino will at least be on the bench.

It is perhaps the additions made that will make the difference this time, most notably in goal.

Loris Karius suffered a concussion after an elbow to the head from Sergio Ramos that night, which could explain his bizarre performance after that where he threw the ball straight onto Karim Benzema's foot for Madrid's opener, before dropping the ball into the goal from a Bale shot for their third.

Brazil international Alisson is a significant upgrade on Karius.

Instead of the... shall we say... enigmatic Dejan Lovren, Van Dijk will be partnered by either Joel Matip or Ibrahima Konate, both of whom have performed well with the big Dutchman this season.

Should they be fit, Thiago Alcantara and Fabinho will play with Henderson in midfield instead of Milner and Georginio Wijnaldum, while Luis Diaz will almost certainly play alongside Mane and Salah in place of Firmino.

Klopp only made two changes off the bench that night, with Adam Lallana replacing the injured Salah in the first half, while Emre Can also arrived in the second half with little impact.

He will likely have players such as Firmino, Milner, Diogo Jota, Naby Keita and, for one last time, Divock Origi to make the difference if needed in the French capital.

But overall, how much have they changed as a team since that season?

In all competitions in 2017-18, Liverpool averaged 2.39 goals for and 1.11 goals against per game, while making 584.18 passes per game.

They created 2.26 big chances per game, attempted 62.19 long passes per game and won possession in the final third on average 4.94 times per game.

Compare that to this season, they have averaged slightly fewer goals for with 2.37 per game, though have conceded just 0.76 per game, and made 624.55 passes per game, suggesting they control matches more than they used to.

They have created 2.43 big chances per game, and make fewer long passes with 57.13 per game, so are also maybe not quite as direct.

One of the more interesting stats is that they have been winning possession in the final third on average 7.32 times per game this season, significantly more than they did four years ago, so Madrid will be wary of that.

Speaking to Stats Perform, former Liverpool player and assistant manager Phil Thompson - who was captain of the Reds when they beat Madrid in Paris to lift the European Cup in 1981 - said he feels their added experience will help them this time.

"They're better equipped all round," he said. "We're better defensively. The back four, the goalkeeper, I do think all round we're more experienced now in the way we play with Sadio, Mo Salah, and Luis Diaz has brought a different element to our game."

Madrid back as Champions League experts

Back in 2018, Zinedine Zidane guided Los Blancos to their 13th European Cup/Champions League, but otherwise it was a pretty ordinary campaign.

They finished third in LaLiga, 17 points behind the champions Barcelona. They were also knocked out of the Copa del Rey at the quarter-final stage by lowly Leganes.

They just had a knack in the Champions League, though, and remarkably won their fourth in five years.

Similarly to Liverpool, you would imagine at least five of their starting XI in Kyiv will also start in Paris, with Dani Carvajal, Casemiro, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Benzema key men in Carlo Ancelotti's side.

Thibaut Courtois has replaced Keylor Navas in goal, while Eder Militao, David Alaba and Ferland Mendy will probably be the ones to take the places of Raphael Varane, Sergio Ramos and Marcelo.

It is up top where things have mainly changed though, and not just in personnel.

Isco has become a squad player, who will leave at the end of the season, while Cristiano Ronaldo has long since departed, paving the way for Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo to come in, while Benzema has drastically increased his output.

The France striker scored 12 goals in all competitions in 47 games in the 2017-18 season, but has bagged 44 in 45 this campaign.

As for the team overall, in 2017-18 they averaged just 2.14 goals for per game, and 0.91 against, creating 2.11 big chances per game.

Somewhat bizarrely, their goal averages both for and against are the same as Liverpool's were four years ago (2.39 goals for, 1.11 against per game), though they have increased their average of big chances created to 2.71 per game.

However, they have won LaLiga this season, in addition to the Supercopa de Espana, and somehow found their way past Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Manchester City to reach the final.

Looking at those numbers and what has been achieved since, it is fair to say that both teams have improved since their Kyiv meeting.

Klopp's men have gone from a relative also-ran in English football to one of the strongest teams in the world, and had it not been for City's incredible comeback against Aston Villa on Sunday, would be playing to complete a phenomenal and unprecedented quadruple on Saturday.

Madrid have taken back their place as the best in Spain, and whether it was through luck or determination, have toppled three of the best teams in the competition to make it here.

You would assume the match in Paris will be a closer affair than 2018, and as finals so often are, is likely to be decided by the fine margins.

With the strength of both teams, though, do not be surprised if this isn't the last time we are sat here preparing to do battle in Europe's showpiece club game in May.

The Premier League's longest-serving manager is to remain in his post until 2026 after agreeing a two-year contract extension to his deal at Anfield.

Having already led the Reds to their first ever Premier League title, ending a 30-year wait for top-flight glory, and a sixth European crown since arriving in England in 2015, Klopp is looking to become the first boss to win a historic quadruple in another fine campaign.

Liverpool finished eighth when Klopp replaced Brendan Rodgers during the 2015-16 season but the German's canny recruiting has helped restore the club to one of the game's global powerhouses.

And Stats Perform has used Opta data to run through the club's best signings of the Klopp era.

Sadio Mane

Having led the Reds to EFL Cup and Europa League finals after inheriting a squad built by predecessor Brendan Rodgers, Klopp went about remodelling his team in 2016, with then-Southampton forward Mane representing the biggest arrival ahead of his first full campaign at the helm.

Mane registered 13 goals and seven assists in his debut season, with only Phillipe Coutinho managing more goal contributions for the Reds (14 goals and nine assists). The Senegal forward managed his best campaign to date when scoring 26 goals in all competitions two years later, also winning a vital penalty in the opening stages of their Champions League final win over Spurs.

Including this season, Mane has hit 20 goals in four of his last five campaigns at Anfield, more than paying back his £30million price tag.

Mohamed Salah

If Mane's arrival was a success, where do you start with the debut campaign of Salah, who joined Mane and Roberto Firmino to form a fearsome Reds front three in 2017?

In all competitions, Salah scored an unbelievable 43 goals and registered 14 assists during his first season with the club as Liverpool finished as Champions League runners-up. Salah has hit 117 goals in 176 Premier League appearances for the Reds, has scored in a Champions League final victory and won two Premier League golden boots to date, with another extremely likely to follow this term.

Not bad for a player Chelsea let go for a reported £13.5million back in 2016…

Virgil van Dijk

While Salah and Mane have arguably provided the most magical moments for Klopp's Liverpool, would any of their incredible successes have been possible without the acquisition of Van Dijk in January 2018?

With former club Southampton receiving a reported £75million for his services, Van Dijk certainly did not come cheap, but it could be argued no other player can rival his impact at Anfield. Having conceded 38 league goals in 2017-18, Liverpool shipped just 22 in Van Dijk's first full season with the club as they were crowned European champions and narrowly missed out on the Premier League title.

Indeed, after racking up 97 points that season, Liverpool earned 99 when winning their first Premier League title in 2019-20, 30 more than they earned in the 2020-21 campaign when Van Dijk was sidelined by an ACL injury.

Allison 

The 2018 Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid was a turning point for Klopp's Liverpool. The heavy metal football that propelled Klopp to stardom had gotten the Reds so far, but Loris Karius' costly errors demonstrated their need for a safer pair of hands.

For all that Van Dijk's brilliance contributed to Liverpool's incredible defensive record in 2018-19, Allison's arrival must also be credited after he kept 21 clean sheets and recorded a save percentage of 77.08 per cent that term. The Brazilian could yet better those statistics this season, posting 19 Premier League clean sheets to date.

Liverpool's shot-stopper even popped up with a vital goal against West Brom last season to help secure Champions League qualification.

The Hull City left-back, the silky Spaniard and Liverpool's next great attackers: The best of the rest…

Klopp's Liverpool have generally recruited brilliantly since his arrival, and while the aforementioned quartet have arguably had the greatest impact on the team's development, there are numerous others who warrant a mention.

In terms of pure value-for-money, no signing can match the £7million purchase of Andrew Robertson, with only Trent Alexander-Arnold (17) beating the Scot's 15 assists in all competitions this season.

Thiago Alcantara, who arrived from Bayern Munich ahead of lasts season, took a while to convince some doubters, largely owing to the silky midfielder's bad fortune with injuries, but the Barcelona man has been inspirational in recent weeks and no regular Reds midfielder can match his passing accuracy of 89.56 per cent this term (all competitions).

If Liverpool could be said to have had one weakness in recent seasons, meanwhile, it was a lack of reliable back-ups for Salah and Mane.

However, the form of Diogo Jota and January arrival Luis Diaz has been crucial to Liverpool's quadruple bid. With Jota averaging a goal every 134.6 minutes in the Premier League this term, and Diaz recording five goal contributions (three goals, two assists) in just seven league starts, the duo could be crucial in Klopp's next cycle.

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson has said he and his team-mates "want to win everything" ahead of a busy period that could see them end the season with an unprecedented quadruple.

The Reds have already won the EFL Cup and are a point behind Manchester City in the Premier League title race as well as still participating in the Champions League and FA Cup.

Liverpool will have 13 more games left to play between now and the end of May should they reach the finals of both those competitions, but Alisson is confident the team can deal with the hectic schedule.

Speaking at a news conference ahead of the Champions League quarter-final second leg against Benfica, a tie in which they lead 3-1, the Brazilian stopper was asked about the physical demands of being in so many competitions.

"At this level we need to be prepared for that and we are," he said. "We have great fitness staff, we are training every day for that. We have targets, all the finals, all the games, as many games as is possible for us in the season.

"We want to win everything, so we are ready for that. Of course, it's not easy, sometimes we feel tired, but you need to put in your mind that you have energy enough to deal with every challenge."

Alisson has played 41 games for Liverpool in all competitions this season, keeping 22 clean sheets, and paid tribute to the players in front of him.

"It's massive [having a strong defence as a goalkeeper]. I have top players playing in front of me. No matter who is playing, they are always performing to the highest level possible, so I am really happy to be part of this team," he added.

The former Roma goalkeeper acknowledged the strength of Benfica ahead of Wednesday's second leg at Anfield.

"It was a tough game," Alisson admitted. "They have quick strikers, they have a strong striker as a number nine [Darwin Nunez]. I know Everton as well from Brazil, I know his qualities, how good he is.

"They gave us a lot of work to do, but we are ready to face them, we are ready and prepared to face that match to achieve our goals."

Manchester City and Liverpool goalkeepers Ederson and Alisson are two of the best shot-stoppers in world football, and David James concedes it is a struggle to pick an outright favourite.

Brazil duo Ederson and Alisson will meet on Sunday as Manchester City host Liverpool in a crucial game in the Premier League title race.

The goalkeepers have been the standout shot-stoppers in the Premier League in recent seasons. While Ederson has three league titles to his name, Alisson has helped Liverpool to a top-flight triumph and Champions League success.

This season, both goalkeepers have performed to similarly high levels. Alisson has made 60 saves in the league from 78 shots on target faced, leaving him with a save percentage of 76.9, while Ederson has made 50 stops, registering a save percentage of 72.3.

Based on Opta's expected goals on target conceded (xGOT) model, Alisson has performed slightly better when it comes to the number of goals he has prevented with the quality of his shot-stopping.

Alisson has prevented 2.9 goals in the top-flight, while Ederson has prevented 1.7.

With the margins between the pair so tight, former England number one James says it is difficult to pick which goalie he prefers.

"My favourite two goalkeepers in the Premier League, absolutely," the former City and Liverpool goalkeeper told Stats Perform.

"Even off the field, these two guys are fantastic people. I can admire them from the goalkeeping art, but when you've got wonderful people doing it, then it just adds another layer to it.

"They're very good friends as well, which makes it even more interesting, team-mates on the international scene, your mates off the field, and then you're competing in pretty much every tournament."

 

However, James does believe that Alisson, due to Liverpool's more open style of play, is tested more regularly.

"If I had a favourite, it's very difficult because their attributes are different," he continued.

"When you look at Ederson, the guy who can kick the ball 90 metres, hardly ever kicks the ball 40 metres, and everything is pretty much played in his own half now.

"It's more a demonstration of the dominance of City and because of that dominance he's not actually being called upon so much.

"Whereas if you look at Allison, who's got the freedom to get an assist if he wants, but has been called upon time and again, this even going into the game on the weekend, you're looking at it and thinking well 'case history would argue that Allison has made more saves in the last two months, possibly in one game than Ederson has had to do'.

"So Allison's kind of winning at the moment because he's doing more but I wouldn't want to pick one as my ultimate favourite."

Page 1 of 3
© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.