Liverpool made it two wins from two in this season's Champions League following a 2-0 victory over Bologna at Anfield.

Alexis Mac Allister and Mohamed Salah were on target for Arne Slot's side, who maintained their perfect start to the league phase, having also beaten AC Milan 3-1 on matchday one.

The Reds broke through after just 11 minutes when Mac Allister timed his run perfectly to steer Salah's teasing cross beyond Bologna goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski.

Liverpool thought they had doubled their lead six minutes later when Darwin Nunez fired home, only to be denied by the offside flag, while the woodwork thwarted Dan Ndoye at the other end.

The visitors looked to hit back after the break and went close in the 56th minute as Riccardo Orsolini forced a strong save from Alisson Becker, who was celebrating his 32nd birthday.

However, the hosts gave themselves breathing space - and eventually the three points - with a quarter of an hour remaining, when Salah brilliantly curled into Skorupski's far corner of the net.

Data Debrief: Salah makes more history as Reds continue to enjoy home comforts

In wrapping up the victory, Salah became the first Liverpool player to score in five successive home Champions League games.

The Egyptian is also only the third player to achieve the feat for a Premier League side, following in the footsteps of Thierry Henry with Arsenal (seven) and Manchester United's Ruud van Nistelrooy (six).

Also assisting Mac Allister's opener, Salah has now been directly involved in 14 goals (eight goals, six assists) in his last 11 home European appearances, as many as in his 20 previous such games.

It helped Liverpool record their 11th straight group/league win at Anfield in major European competition, while they have now scored at least twice in each of their last 10 such games. 

Liverpool came from a goal down at Anfield to thrash 10-man West Ham 5-1 and book their place in the fourth round of the EFL Cup.

The victory piles more misery on Hammers boss Julen Lopetegui, who has endured a frustrating start to his tenure.

EFL Cup holders Liverpool did not have it all their own way, as they fell behind to Jarell Quansah's own goal in the 21st minute.

West Ham's lead lasted only four minutes, though, with Diogo Jota heading home from close range to restore parity.

Jota doubled up shortly after half-time, tucking in after fine work from Curtis Jones, though West Ham were left angered after their appeals for a Joe Gomez handball at the other end were dismissed.

Mohamed Salah slammed home a third after replacing debutant Federico Chiesa, and any hopes of a West Ham comeback were ended when Edson Alvarez received a second yellow card.

A West Ham capitulation followed – Cody Gakpo scoring twice in the space of three minutes to ensure Liverpool replicated the 5-1 victory they claimed over the Hammers in the quarter-finals last season.

Data Debrief: Reds burst Hammers' bubble... again

Liverpool have lost just one of their last 57 home games against West Ham in all competitions (W42 D14), a run stretching back to 1964 – that sole loss came in August 2015 in the Premier League (0-3).

The Reds' dominant victory on Wednesday means the EFL Cup holders have not failed to reach the fourth round of the competition since 2013-14, when Swansea City lost to Birmingham City.

Arne Slot aims to utilise the set-pieces that proved fruitful in his first Champions League game in charge of Liverpool when they welcome Bournemouth to Anfield this weekend.

Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk netted headers from corner kicks in the Reds’ 3-1 win over Milan in midweek, bouncing back from their shock defeat to Nottingham Forest last Saturday.

Liverpool’s loss to Nuno Espirito Santo’s side marked the first of Slot’s era since taking over from Jurgen Klopp, but the Dutch head coach is confident that the Red’s new-found weapon can punish the Cherries and get their Premier League campaign back on track.

“I don't look at the other team, I always look at my own team,” Slot said.

“I think we were a bit disappointed with the result against Nottingham Forest, [but] we were also disappointed from getting eight corner kicks and not scoring, but we were very close.

“I think [it was] two very good set-pieces and two very good headers that got us two goals, which was important because I think we were very comfortable on the ball, pressed well, but in the end, you need goals as well.”

Bournemouth, meanwhile, were on the end of a late defeat to Chelsea in their last Premier League fixture as Christopher Nkunku came off the bench to score for the visitors.

The Cherries had the opportunity to take the lead against Enzo Maresca’s side from the spot, only for £40million record signing Evanilson to see his spot-kick saved by Robert Sanchez.

In his first three league games, Evanilson has failed to score with his seven shots on goal, but head coach Andoni Iraola is confident the Brazilian will soon find his feet in England.

"I will not value his performance because he has scored. He has had a lot of chances. He created the penalty, and he has been very good," Iraola said. 

“He wants to score for sure, but I will not focus on this. I am very happy with his performance.

"It's football. We played at home against Newcastle and Chelsea with two very good games, and we have one point. We played very well, had more chances, pushed them and you have to punish them, and we didn't.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Liverpool – Mohamed Salah

Salah has enjoyed previous meetings against Bournemouth, netting nine goals in nine Premier League appearances against them.

Should he score against the Cherries this weekend, it will be the fourth team he has reached double figures against in the competition (after Manchester United, Arsenal and West Ham).

It would also make the Egyptian the sixth player to score 10+ goals against four different opponents after Alan Shearer (12), Wayne Rooney (seven), Harry Kane (six), Andrew Cole (six) and Thierry Henry (four).

Bournemouth – Antoine Semenyo

Semenyo has started the campaign in fine form for Bournemouth, recording three goal involvements (two goals and one assist) in his first four Premier League games.

The Ghana international also has previous at Anfield, having scored in the third minute of the Cherries’ 3-1 defeat on Merseyside at the start of last season.

MATCH PREDICTION: LIVERPOOL WIN

Liverpool come into the encounter as the overwhelming favourites to return to winning ways in the Premier League, having won nine of their last 10 Premier League meetings with Bournemouth, with the exception being a 1-0 away defeat in March 2023.

However, the Reds have now lost two of their last five Premier League home games (W3), having lost just one of their previous 58 at Anfield. They’re looking to avoid consecutive home league defeats for the first time since March 2021 (a run of six).

But no side has faced fewer shots (28) or conceded fewer goals (one) than Liverpool in the Premier League this season, while the Reds also have the lowest expected goals (xG) against (2.8) and fewest shots on target faced (10).

The Cherries have struggled on Merseyside in recent years, losing nine of their 10 away games against Liverpool in all competitions, with the exception being a 2-2 draw in the Premier League in April 2017.

Bournemouth have also only won two of their 29 Premier League away games against teams starting the day in the top four, losing 25 of those matches (D2) – the exceptions are wins at Stamford Bridge over Chelsea, 3-0 in January 2018 and 1-0 in December 2019.

But Iraola’s side have shown signs of their attacking improvement. Only Brighton (67) and Manchester City (66) have had more shots than Bournemouth (65) in the Premier League this season, with the Cherries’ average of 16.3 per game their highest in a single top-flight campaign.

OPTA WIN PROBABILTY

Liverpool – 69.7%

Draw – 16.9%

Bournemouth – 13.4%

Arne Slot slammed Liverpool's performance after their perfect start to his reign came crashing to a halt with Saturday's surprise 1-0 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest.

Callum Hudson-Odoi's deflected second-half strike proved decisive as Forest earned their first league victory at Anfield in 55 years, having last triumphed on the ground against Bill Shankly's Reds in 1969.

Liverpool's 14 shots throughout the game gave them a total expected goals (xG) figure of just 0.87, with only five of those attempts forcing Matz Sels into action.

The Reds boasted a 69.6% possession share but only marginally beat Forest's 56 final-third entries with 70 of their own, leaving Slot to bemoan their lethargic play in possession.

"The result frustrates me the most and we cannot be happy about how the game went. It was a stop-start game and we hardly created any chances," Slot told BBC Sport.

"We only have to look at ourselves, we have to be better. Far too many times we lost the ball around the area, it was not good enough. We have to be better with the ball.

"Our decisions and execution weren't good enough. 

"In general, we defended quite well but the two fast players came on and made it difficult for us. We took a lot of risks and in the end it was a very good goal."

Liverpool have now lost two of their last five Premier League matches at Anfield (three wins), having only lost one of their previous 58 before this run.

Forest, meanwhile, have won four straight away Premier League matches for the first time since 1995, and they sit just one point behind Liverpool in the early-season standings.

Boss Nuno Espirito Santo was delighted with their defensive work, telling BBC Radio 5 Live: "Liverpool are such a good team, it required a lot of effort from the players... the organisation, tackling and the covering.

"The only way to achieve anything here is if you are organised and do everything that you can.

"When you start the way we started with our wingers, Nico Dominguez and Elliot Anderson – all the effort of them tracking Liverpool's full-backs, it is a lot of energy.

"We are working hard and it is about building and believing in this idea that you can develop."

Callum Hudson-Odoi's goal gave Nottingham Forest their first league victory at Anfield in 55 years and ended Liverpool's perfect start to life under Arne Slot on Saturday.

Substitute Hudson-Odoi scored the only goal of the game after 72 minutes, capping a lightning Forest counterattack with a curling strike that deflected in off Ibrahima Konate.

Liverpool had earlier gone close through Luis Diaz as he struck the base of the post in the first half, but they struggled to pose Nuno Espirito Santo's men too many problems in a flat display.

The defeat, which comes after impressive shutout victories over Ipswich Town, Brentford and Manchester United, means Liverpool have lost early ground on Manchester City, who now boast a three-point lead at the top of the Premier League table.

Forest, meanwhile, remain unbeaten in 2024/25 and move up into fourth place with eight points, just one behind Saturday's opponents, who stay second.

Luis Diaz had the first real chance of the match when he rattled the post after 16 minutes, dispossessing Ryan Yates at the byline before cutting inside from the left and seeing his shot bounce clear off the woodwork.

Matz Sels almost caused Forest's undoing just before half-time as he spilled Diaz's looping header, but it was his team-mate Hudson-Odoi who got the eventual winner. 

Cutting inside from the left, he bent an effort towards the far corner, with a deflection off Konate carrying it out of Alisson's reach to condemn Liverpool to defeat.

Data Debrief: Forest end Anfield hoodoo

It is the first time Nottingham Forest have won away at Liverpool in the league since winning 2-0 against Bill Shankly's side in 1969.

It is also the first time Forest manager Nuno has achieved Premier League victory against Liverpool, having lost his previous seven meetings with them.

Since the start of last season, meanwhile, winning goalscorer Hudson-Odoi (four) is third only to Phil Foden (six) and Eberechi Eze (five) for goals scored from outside the box in the top flight. 

Arne Slot is hoping to strike the right balance between "chaos and possession" ahead of his first Premier League encounter against Ipswich Town on Saturday. 

Slot arrived as Jurgen Klopp's successor in June, and a seemingly improbable task has proved to be a seamless transition given their pre-season results.

The Reds won four of their five fixtures ahead of the new campaign, but Slot is still aiming to find the perfect blend just two months into his Anfield tenure. 

"Style of play has been with my teams where I worked, I think, always the same," Slot said. "There are a lot of similarities with Jurgen Klopp, with the way they played in the past, and I'm hoping we will see these similarities in the upcoming weeks and months.

"We like to have the ball, we don't like the other team to have the ball, but the Premier League is a league where many good clubs are and many clubs want to have the ball.

"And if we have it, we want to score, we want to be intense in everything we do. If we have the ball, we want to score – that's quite simple, of course!

"But it sometimes also depends on the players you have. I think we're trying to find the balance between trying to create chaos at certain moments and trying to keep possession of the ball."

Meanwhile, Ipswich arrive back in the Premier League 22 years after their relegation was confirmed against the same opponents they will face upon their return. 

The Tractor Boys confirmed back-to-back promotions last season, pipped to the Championship title by Leicester City in Kieran McKenna's second season at the helm. 

Ipswich scored 19 goals from set-pieces last campaign, a total only bettered by Cardiff (21), something McKenna believes will be crucial in remaining in the division. 

"I've spoken lots about how we're going to have to try and keep our identity but adapt, and we're not going to be able to open up the game as much every minute of every game pretty much like we did last season," McKenna said. 

"We're going to have to find times to do that and find time to keep the game a little bit more closed, and also we're going to get fewer set pieces. 

“So it's going to be of the utmost importance to be even more efficient with them, and we're going to defend more, so we're going to have to be even more resilient against our set plays."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Ipswich - Omari Hutchinson

After starring on loan for Ipswich last season, Omari Hutchinson secured a permanent move to Portman Road from Chelsea at the beginning of the transfer window. 

Hutchinson registered 16 goal involvements in 44 Championship appearances last season (10 goals and six assists), a total only bettered by Leif Davies (20) and Conor Chaplin (21) in the Ipswich squad. 

He has previously played three times against Liverpool's Under-21 side and remains winless against them (D1 L2), but has the opportunity to upset the odds this time around. 

Liverpool - Mohamed Salah

As Mohamed Salah embarks on his eighth season with the Reds, he will be hopeful of adding the Tractor Boys to the list of Premier League outfits he has scored against. 

No player in Premier League history has scored more goals on matchday one than Salah (eight, level with Alan Shearer, Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney).

Only Rooney's total of 13 goal involvements (eight goals and five assists) is more than the Egyptian's tally on the opening day of the season (eight goals and four assists).

MATCH PREDICTION: LIVERPOOL WIN

Slot will be hoping for a winning start in Suffolk, with the omens in his favour as Liverpool have never lost at Portman Road (P5 W3 D2), playing more games there without losing than any other ground in the Premier League.

Ipswich will also be the fifth newly promoted side the Reds have faced in the last six seasons (W3 D1), with the last time Liverpool lost on the opening day coming in a 3-0 defeat to West Brom in 2012-13 in Brendan Rodgers' first game in charge. 

However, only one of the eight managers to take charge of the Reds in the Premier League has won their first such game (D4 L3), with Gerard Houllier the last to do so against Southampton while jointly in charge with Roy Evans in August 1998. 

The Tractor Boys boast an impressive matchday one record of their own, going unbeaten in their last 10 (W6 D4) since a 2-1 defeat to Reading in 2013-14. 

Last season, only Stockport County (96) and Manchester City (96) scored more league goals than Ipswich in England's top four tiers last year, and since McKenna's arrival at Portman Road in December 2021, only City (239) have scored more league goals than the Tractor Boys (222).

And while Ipswich finally ended their 22-year wait for a return to the Premier League, they will want to get one over their opponents. Their most recent top-flight fixture was against Liverpool in May 2002, losing 5-0 to confirm their relegation to the second tier.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Ipswich - 15%

Draw - 17.9%

Liverpool - 67.1%

Jurgen Klopp hopes his departure from Liverpool marks the start of something special, rather than an end, after imploring the Reds to keep believing in an emotional farewell.

Liverpool manager Klopp announced back in January he would leave at the end of this campaign, signing off with a 2-0 win over Wolves at Anfield on day where the Reds celebrated their much-loved boss.

Alexis Mac Allister and Jarell Quansah were both on target in the first half after Nelson Semedo's 28th-minute red card, though the result mattered for little in truth with the focus on Klopp's exit.

The Anfield crowd filled up earlier than normal before kick-off to serenade their German manager, who leaves with a Premier League crown and Champions League glory to his name, and those tributes continued throughout Sunday's victory.

Klopp was emotional on the touchline as Anfield's Kop End raised as one to laud their departing boss, who urged Liverpool to back incoming manager Arne Slot and create further history on Merseyside.

"It doesn't feel like an end," Klopp said on the pitch, microphone in hand and addressing the packed-out Anfield. 

"It just feels like a start. Today I saw a football team play full of talent, youth, creativity, desire, and greed. That's one part of development, that's what you need obviously.

"In these few weeks where I have had too much attention, I realised lots of things. People say I turned them from doubters into believers. That's not true, you did it.

"Nobody tells you to stop believing. This club is in a better moment than a long time.

"We have this wonderful stadium, training centre and you – the superpower of world football, wow.

"We decide if we are worried or excited. We decide if we believe. We decide if we trust or don't trust. Today I am one of you and I keep believing. I stay believing 100 per cent.

"Obviously I saw a lot of people crying and I will tonight too because I will miss people but change is good. Everything will be fine because the basics are 100 per cent there."

Klopp brings his nine-year tenure at Liverpool to an end as Feyenoord head coach Slot prepares to move to Anfield next term.

Former Borussia Dortmund head coach Klopp, before starting an impromptu chant to celebrate the incoming Slot, wants Liverpool supporters to welcome their new leader with open arms.

"Thank you," he said, before referencing his own song from the crowd. "If you sing that song next year, that would be funny.

"You welcome the new manager like you welcomed me. You go all in from the first day, you keep believing, you push the team. I'm one of you now, I love you to bits.

"You are the best team in the world!"

Klopp led Liverpool to the club's highest-ever league points tally (99 in 2019-20), best-ever league winning run (18 from October 2019 to February 2020), and most wins and goals in a single season in all competitions (46 wins, 147 goals in 2021-22).

He leaves Liverpool with 209 wins from 334 Premier League games, with his Reds scoring 714 goals and conceding just 331 across his successful period at Anfield.

Jurgen Klopp brought his remarkable Liverpool reign to an end with a 2-0 victory over 10-man Wolves at Anfield, capping a memorable Premier League tenure with the Reds.

Klopp announced back in January his intention to leave Liverpool – who finish third in the league this term – and Sunday's triumph marked a fitting farewell for his nine-year stay on Merseyside.

Nelson Semedo's first-half dismissal opened the door for Liverpool to capitalise as Alexis Mac Allister, who was scythed down by the right-back for the red card, struck first after 35 minutes.

Jarell Quansah doubled the hosts' lead soon after in the opening 45 minutes as Liverpool eased to a final-day victory, with this defeat ensuring Gary O'Neil's Wolves end the season 14th in the table.

The Anfield crowd entered the stadium unusually early to create a roaring atmosphere for Klopp's farewell, but Liverpool were slow to get going after the emotional pre-match build-up.

A nervy opening almost proved the home side's undoing as Hwang Hee-Chan arrowed narrowly wide, with Virgil van Dijk denied at the other end just moments earlier.

Yet Wolves' encouraging showing was turned on its head when Semedo was shown a straight red card – following a VAR check recommending a review – for an over-the-ball lunge on Mac Allister's ankle.

Making use of that one-man advantage, Harvey Elliott floated into right-wing space before curling for Mac Allister to flick a neat header into the top-left corner.

Wolves suffered another blow just six minutes later as Mohamed Salah volleyed from Cody Gakpo's flick-on before Quansah prodded home with a simple finish from point-blank range.

The one-way traffic continued in the second half as Luis Diaz missed a glorious opportunity to make it 3-0, smashing against the crossbar with the goal gaping after Gakpo had rounded Sa.

Mac Allister deflected narrowly over soon after Sa had thwarted Gakpo in a one-on-one situation, while Van Dijk blocked an open goal for Matheus Cunha in a rare Wolves chance on Alisson's target.

Matt Doherty thought he had sliced the deficit with five minutes remaining, but the Wolves substitute was caught fractionally offside as Klopp signed off with a comfortable victory.

Klopp's Kop farewell

Liverpool's Kop End at Anfield stood in unison for one final time, waving goodbye to their great manager Klopp, who guided the Reds to eight trophies across his impressive spell.

His trophy-laden spell ends with Champions League glory and a Premier League crown as the most memorable moments of what was a storied tenure on Merseyside.

Klopp leaves Liverpool with 209 wins from 334 Premier League games, with his Reds scoring 714 goals and conceding just 331 across his successful period at Anfield.

Super Salah

Klopp's impressive tenure was aided by the likes of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Salah as part of a fearsome front three – though the Egyptian is the only one who remains with the club.

Salah made his 250th top-flight appearance for Liverpool here against Wolves, while he has scored 155 Premier League goals for Liverpool under Klopp, with only Thierry Henry (175 under Arsene Wenger) netting more under a single manager in the competition.

The Reds forward also has the second-highest combined goals and assists tally by any player in their first 250 appearances for a single club in the competition (223 – 155 goals, 68 assists) – behind only Henry for Arsenal (243 – 171 goals, 72 assists).

Jurgen Klopp was left to reflect on “a low point” for Liverpool after Atalanta inflicted one of the heaviest defeats of his reign in Thursday’s Europa League clash.

Here, the PA news agency looks at how the Serie A side’s 3-0 romp compares to Klopp’s worst games with the club.

Low point

Gianluca Scamacca’s double and Mario Pasalic’s late strike gave Atalanta a 3-0 win in the first leg of their quarter-final, denting Klopp’s bid to add an eighth different trophy to his Anfield honours roll and end his reign with a showpiece final in Dublin.

Only Manchester City and Aston Villa have ever enjoyed bigger winning margins against Klopp’s Liverpool, across his 483 games since taking charge in October 2015.

City beat their perennial title rivals 5-0 on the way to the 2017-18 crown, Gabriel Jesus and Leroy Sane scoring twice apiece, and then 4-0 in a futile attempt to stop Klopp’s men romping to their Covid-delayed 2019-20 win.

Villa beat a much-changed Liverpool side 5-0 in the Carabao Cup in December 2019 – a defence of Ki-Jana Hoever, Tony Gallacher, Sepp van den Berg and Morgan Boyes powerless to prevent Jonathan Kodjia scoring his only two goals of that season.

More memorably, Ollie Watkins’ hat-trick and a Jack Grealish brace set up a 7-2 league triumph against Klopp’s defending champions in October 2020.

Anfield nightmare

The common thread between those four hammerings is that they all took place away from Anfield, meaning Gian Piero Gasperini’s side inflicted a record-equalling home defeat on Klopp with Liverpool.

It is the 11th time his side have lost by three goals – a sixth 3-0, to go with four 4-1s and a 5-2 – but only the third at home.

City triumphed 4-1 in 2021, Ilkay Gundogan scoring twice, while last season’s Champions League challenge was effectively ended by that 5-2 defeat in the first leg of their last-16 tie against Real Madrid. Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah gave Liverpool an early 2-0 lead but Vinicius Jr and Karim Benzema scored twice apiece in Real’s emphatic comeback.

City are also among the teams to inflict three-goal away defeats on Klopp’s side, a list that curiously includes Watford on two separate occasions along with Tottenham, Brighton and Wolves in the Premier League and Barcelona and Napoli in the Champions League.

Liverpool’s heaviest ever home defeat is only 6-0, against Sunderland in the First Division in April 1930.

Jurgen Klopp called Thursday’s 3-0 home defeat to Atalanta a “low point” in Liverpool’s season as their Europa League hopes were left hanging by a thread.

Liverpool looked flat throughout the quarter-final first leg and ended the night perhaps fortunate Atalanta had not taken one of the many late chances they had to add to a lead given to them by Gianluca Scamacca’s brace and a late Mario Pasalic goal.

Harvey Elliott hit the post in the first half and Mo Salah had a goal ruled out for offside in the second, but Liverpool lacked the spark needed to beat a well-organised Atalanta side, who will be confident of finishing the job next Thursday in Bergamo.

Before Klopp can think about that match, he must lift his players for Sunday’s visit of Crystal Palace in the tight battle at the top of the Premier League table.

“It was a really bad game, oh my God,” Klopp said after Liverpool’s first home defeat in nearly 14 months.

“We started well, really well and then didn’t continue. They broke, they scored and we just lost the plot a little bit. We were here and there in midfield, I didn’t recognise it.

“It was really strange but in football terms it was tactical discipline. There was a big chance for Darwin (Nunez) and then it was unlucky with Harvey, but they scored and we kept playing into their hands.

“We played a bad game and we we deserved to lose. We must feel that now but we have exactly this night to feel bad about it and then we have to build up for Palace.”

Klopp made six changes to his side following Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Manchester United, but his bid to freshen up the side failed, and their chances of ending the German’s reign with a showpiece final in Dublin have taken a huge hit.

“I believe it’s not the moment to talk about that,” Klopp said when asked if the tie was still alive. “I’m not in the mood to think about the game in a week’s time when we have another in between.

“Definitely we have to try, we want to win the game but now is not the moment to have a big mouth. We have to play a really good game.

“Where we are, this is probably a low point for us performance-wise so it should be possible to play a little bit better and we can play a lot better. But first and foremost it’s about Sunday now.”

The final whistle brought huge celebrations for Atalanta and their travelling fans. Gian Piero Gasperini said he wanted to enjoy the moment, but warned the job is only half done.

“Tonight was amazing,” he said through a translator. “I didn’t make any changes until 10 minutes to go and the only one change because it is hard to touch something about a team that held until the 90th minute in the best way.

“Such a victory, it’s OK to celebrate but we all know we ill have to conquer everything in seven days’ time in Bergamo because Liverpool is a really strong team and they can score goals quickly.

“We will have to play another very precise game in every aspect and repeat tonight’s game because everything remains to be played. But our advantage makes us hope for the best.”

Liverpool endured a humbling night after Atalanta left Anfield with a 3-0 victory that places the Serie A side on the brink of qualifying for the Europa League semi-finals.

Former West Ham striker Gianluca Scamacca struck in each half, the second goal made possible by a superb pass from Charles De Ketelaere, before Mario Pasalic added the third in the 84th minute.

Jurgen Klopp’s Premier League title challengers were completely outplayed by opponents positioned sixth in their domestic league and as a result have a mountain to climb in the second leg of their last eight tie.

West Ham were breached by two late goals as they slipped to a 2-0 defeat in their first leg at Bayer Leverkusen.

The Hammers had defended heroically for 83 minutes before goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski was finally beaten by substitute Jonas Hoffman.

The second arrived in stoppage time when a second sub, Victor Boniface, headed home Hofmann’s cross to leave West Ham’s hopes of a third consecutive European semi-final looking slim.

Benfica took a step towards the reaching the last four after dispatching Marseille 2-1 in Lisbon through goals by Rafa Silva and Angel Di Maria.

The Portuguese champions were on target either side of the interval with David Neres involved in both strikes before Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang netted what could be an important away goal with 23 minutes remaining.

Gianluca Mancini’s early goal was all that separated AC Milan and Roma in their all-Serie A tie at the San Siro.

Milan controlled most of the game but did not recover from Mancini’s effort with Olivier Giroud directing a short-range target on to the crossbar in the closing moments.

Aston Villa clawed a slender advantage from their Europa Conference League quarter-final against Lille after emerging with a 2-1 first-leg win at Villa Park.

Goals in either half from Ollie Watkins and John McGinn saw Villa lead their first European last-eight tie since 1998 and give boss Unai Emery victory in his 1,000th match as a manager.

Bafode Diakite’s late header gave the French side a lifeline just as it looked like they would head home frustrated by Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who had made a string of big saves.

Lacklustre Liverpool were stunned 3-0 by Atalanta in a Europa League quarter-final collapse that could prove to be Jurgen Klopp’s last European night at Anfield.

This competition offers the chance to bring the curtain down on his German’s reign with a European trophy on May 22, but their hopes of making the Dublin showpiece are in jeopardy.

Liverpool lacked creativity and coherence in the first leg of a quarter-final that Atalanta are in complete control of heading back to Bergamo thanks to Gianluca Scamacca’s brace and a late Mario Pasalic goal.

It represented the Reds’ first Anfield loss since falling to Real Madrid last February and compounded the Premier League hopefuls’ potentially costly 2-2 draw at bitter rivals Manchester United on Sunday.

Harvey Elliott had hit the woodwork before Scamacca’s first-half shot squirmed past Caoimhin Kelleher, who was beaten again by the former West Ham striker after Liverpool had started the second half brightly.

Livid Klopp bellowed and waved his arms as he called on fans to lift the flat Anfield atmosphere, but this was Atalanta’s night and Pasalic wrapped up an unforgettable triumph for the visitors.

The warning signs had been there for Liverpool from the start.

Elliott appeared to be fouled but Atalanta were allowed to continue forward in the third minute, with the ball eventually falling for Pasalic to take a shot from six yards that Kelleher saved with his face.

Liverpool reacted with Darwin Nunez bursting through to test Juan Musso before Alexis Mac Allister lashed over as an open start continued.

Atalanta looked up for the fight, producing some lovely free-flowing moves, but the Reds were finding gaps, with Nunez scooping wide poorly when slipped through.

A lull in play was followed by a stunning Elliott effort from wide on the right of the box, with his curling strike clipping the underside of the bar and hitting the far post.

A similar, albeit more wayward, attempt by Curtis Jones followed before Atalanta silenced Anfield in the 38th minute.

Davide Zappacosta, the marauding former Chelsea defender, sent in a low cross for Scamacca to hit a first-time shot that squirmed past Kelleher in front of the flagless Kop.

Gian Piero Gasperini’s men kept up the pressure before half-time and should have grabbed a second in stoppage time.

Marten de Roon won possession at the halfway line, leading to unmarshalled Teun Koopmeiners being sent through to be blocked by onrushing Kelleher.

There were some groans at the break, from which Liverpool returned with Mohamed Salah, Andrew Robertson and Dominik Szoboszlai.

The introductions brought an initial improvement and, after Virgil van Dijk headed over from a corner, Salah was blocked by De Roon before then being stopped by Musso.

Nunez lifted over and saw an unorthodox header caught as Liverpool continued to knock at the door, only to be hit by Atalanta again in the 61st minute.

An all too simple pass down the right to Charles De Ketelaere caught Liverpool napping, with Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez leaving Scamacca free in the middle to score with a measured first-time finish.

Atalanta were nearly celebrating a third just four minutes later but Koopmeiners could only strike across the face of goal.

Liverpool looked lost as they tried to pull one back, with their celebrations at reducing the deficit in the 79th minute shortlived as Salah strayed offside from Robertson’s pass.

Just four minutes later the mood darkened further as Szoboszlai’s mistake allowed Atalanta to break, with Scamacca slipping in Ederson to see a shot saved and Pasalic follow up in front of the away fans, leaving Liverpool a mountain to climb.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp hailed Alexis Mac Allister’s “wonder goal” for turning around their fortunes in the 3-1 win over Sheffield United.

After Conor Bradley’s own goal early in the second half cancelled out Darwin Nunez’s 17th-minute opener – courtesy of an error by Blades goalkeeper Ivo Grbic – the tension at Anfield increased as a return to the top of the Premier League came into doubt.

However, Mac Allister, Liverpool’s best player over the last month, smashed home a brilliant strike reminiscent of Steven Gerrard’s winner against Olympiacos in 2004 to ease the nerves and Cody Gakpo added a late third.

“We needed Macca’s wonder goal to turn it around,” said Klopp on the Argentina international, who is the first Reds midfielder to score or assist a goal in six consecutive appearances in all competitions since Gerrard in January 2013.

“The third goal was like it should have been before. This kind of moment, Robbo (Andy Robertson) at full speed, wonderful cross, sensational header.”

Mac Allister started the game back as the defensive midfielder, a role he performed for most of the first half of the season, as Wataru Endo was rested, but moved further forward in the second half.

Klopp has fielded questions about the World Cup winner’s best position throughout the campaign but admits he is better in a more advanced position.

“I understand 100 percent that (question) is coming but he played a good game already, it is not him in the wrong position,” added the Reds boss.

“You can play that with a footballing six but all the movements around were not as they should be. You talk is he better as an eight or a six – his defensive part is really good but people were doubting can he be this kind of defensive player.

“I prefer him in an eight but we are not playing in dreamland, we had a problem in the position and it worked out.

“We changed (in the game) and then changed back to a double-six. I don’t know if he scored in the double six but the impact he can have is massive.”

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder admits once they had squandered a couple of good early chances the Premier League’s bottom side were always up against it but did not think it would have made that much difference.

“I am not sure scoring early against Liverpool is the greatest of ideas,” he said.

“We knew we would have to give up the ball and be structured and organised and connected. We knew we would have to suffer, stay in the game, take the game deep.

“We were against the best press in the division and hopefully ride your luck and things fall for you, hopefully it becomes the night you get something.

“Yet again Liverpool are finding goals late on. From our point of view it is quite a difficult thing to take.

“You want the players to give everything they have got but physically the gap, it hurts, it cost us tonight.”

Former sporting director Michael Edwards is returning to Liverpool and will spearhead the club’s transition to a post Jurgen Klopp era.

Edwards spent over a decade at Anfield as performance director and sporting director before leaving in 2022 but has agreed to take up a role as chief executive of football for the club’s owners Fenway Sports Group.

Discussions began following the shock news in January of manager Klopp’s departure at the end of the season, with further talks held in Boston earlier this month.

Edwards will take over from FSG president Mike Gordon as the day-to-day decision maker on football matters.

Top of Edwards’ to-do list will be appointing a new sporting director, who will then be responsible for recruiting Klopp’s successor.

Edwards declined several offers to return to football following his Anfield exit, holding talks with Chelsea and Manchester United, and the 44-year-old said: “I am very grateful to Mike, John (Henry), Tom (Werner) and the ownership group for offering me the opportunity to take on this new leadership role within FSG.

“I was humbled by the desire and persistence they showed in wanting to work with me again. This is definitely not something that I take for granted given their track record across sport and business.

“It was vital for me that, if I did return, it had to be with renewed vigour and energy. In practice, this means having fresh challenges and opportunities. As such, one of the biggest factors in my decision is the commitment to acquire and oversee an additional club, growing this area of their organisation.

“In assuming this role, I fully understand that it comes with great expectations, and I therefore intend to identify, hire, and subsequently empower leaders who meet and embody the club’s values and ambitions.

“Having served the club previously I need no reminder of how much emotional investment is made by supporters in the city itself, as well as across the UK and the world. I am looking forward to getting started.”

Edwards will leave his current role with sports management business Ludonautics on June 1.

Gordon hailed his return, saying: “Michael is one of the most formidable executive talents in world football and John, Tom, and I are absolutely thrilled to have secured his services for our business.”

Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott admits they cannot afford to focus too much on the multiple threats Manchester City pose or their own game plan will “go out the window”.

The two title rivals go head to head at Anfield on Sunday with Pep Guardiola’s side having hit top form with 18 wins and two draws in their last 20 matches.

Liverpool’s record over the last 19 fixtures has seen them lose just once and draw three times without, at times, coming close to playing at their best.

The attacking options City have at their disposal can be dizzying for opponents but Elliott said they will not be thinking about that.

“Look at the players and the squad depth they have, just Man City as a team are unbelievable,” said the 20-year-old.

“But it is about us not bigging it up too much. We just take it as another game, not worry about it too much, we just do what we do best, not over analyse or think about it too much

“We will play our football, the way we play as if we’re thinking about them too much then our game plan goes out the window.

“We just have to step up and make sure we’re ready from the start.”

The game will be billed as a potential title decider but Elliott has downplayed the hype.

“I don’t think we can big it up more than any other game,” he added.

“It’s a massive game, of course, but we’re a massive club as well and we just need to be thinking about ourselves.”

Considering the firepower of both sides Sunday’s game may be decided by who takes their chances.

Darwin Nunez warmed up for the tie with two goals in the midweek Europa League win over Sparta Prague, following on from his 99th-minute winner against Nottingham Forest, and represents Liverpool’s biggest threat.

“You know he has always had the skill and the quality, I think just sometimes it was a confidence thing. Now he is showing it,” said Elliott of the Uruguay international who has scored five in his last four games.

“He scored a vital, massive goal at the weekend and now he has come up with another great performance and goals in Prague.

“We are over the moon for him. He just needs to keep going, keep working hard and we will support him all of the way.

“We know what he is capable of doing, he just needs to keep doing it.

“But everyone needs to pop up with goals. It can’t just be the attackers, the midfielders need to chip in too.”