Match report – Liverpool vs Lille
Mo Salah claimed his 50th European goal for Liverpool as Arne Slot’s side stuck a red flag on the summit of the Champions League table.
Harvey Elliott continued what has been an astonishing first campaign for the Dutchman who succeeded Jurgen Klopp.
For while the German will always be seen as one of Anfield’s true icons, history so far suggests that Slot may yet over time be at least as revered. At this rate, anyway.
Elliott’s 67th strike against a side reduced to ten men early in the second half means Slot’s men equalled the club’s best – ever sequence of seven successive wins the competition, a run set, of course, by Klopp.
Yet when so many within the Kop feared his departure last summer might signal a down- sizing of intent, the current side just get better and better.
Match report – Monaco vs Aston Villa
Aston Villa discovered the hard way.
The last place in the world you can afford to be poor is Monte Carlo.
Unai Emery brought his Premier stars to the millionaires’ playground in the South of France.
But in front of watching royalty – Villa fan Prince William – his side performed like paupers.
Wilfried Singo’s first-half header was enough to sink Villa who had 82 minutes to put things right but never came close.
They trudged off at the end, deservedly beaten by Monaco’s energetic kids.
Hot property
Jonathan David might well have added a few more million onto his price tag after his goal at Anfield tonight.
The Lille man is hot property at the minute and has been linked with Newcastle, Arsenal and the Reds in the last couple of days, labelling the latter of those the ‘best team in the world’.
Speaking to Amazon Prime after the game, he said: “We came against the first of the Champions League group so we knew it was going to be a complicated game even more so when we went to 10 men. It’s frustrating, we wanted to hold on as long as we could but it’s very difficult.
“Today wasn’t our day. The togetherness. Everyone is very solid and compact. We want to play and play our game this is how we’re going to get further.
“They’re a very good team. I think they might be the best team in the world at the moment.”
Strong showing
A dominant night for Liverpool despite really getting out of first gear.
Lille with plenty of the ball of their own and 461 passes is no mean feat at Anfield on a Champions League night.
50 up
Mo Salah admits his pride at another landmark moment for Liverpool after his 50th European goal for the club.
But he admits he hopes it’s not the last milestone for the club.
He told Amazon Prime: “Hopefully not the last one but I’m very proud of it. I wasn’t focused on it before the game.
“They have a really good game plan and they were unbeaten for 21 games so they’re a quite tough team. I’m glad we managed to win that game.
“We got the ball and Curtis played the ball very well finally and I managed to score.”
How we stand
A dramatic night then but it leaves us knowing that top spot will either be Liverpool or Barcelona.
The Reds are in such a strong position having won all seven games and have a three-point gap to Barca, with just the final match day to go.
Liverpool are at PSV, Barca host Atalanta.
Elsewhere, Aston Villa are in a right scrap for a top eight finish, knowing they will need to beat Celtic next week!
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