Arne Slot called for a repeat of Liverpool's performance against Real Madrid when the Premier League champions visit Manchester City and will no doubt repeat himself in the coming days. For Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior on Tuesday, read Erling Haaland on Sunday. Nullifying another of the game's finest strikers, while keeping a third clean sheet in a row, would reinforce Slot's post-Madrid message that Liverpool remain in the chase for the biggest prizes. They do not include the Carabao Cup.
Haaland is an outstanding player who puts up incredible numbers. We have to stop him as a collective. We have to play our game together as a team. City might be more beatable than in years gone by, but they still have absolute world-class players in their ranks, and are in a development phase.
A move for in-form Napoli midfielder Scott McTominay is being considered by Barcelona. TEAMtalk reports that the Blaugrana have placed the 28-year-old on a three-player shortlist for next summer, but could face competition from both Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United. It is reported that any move in January would be categorically off the table, with the Serie A club unwilling to offload a key player during a title race.
Raw milk, LED light treatment, tomahawk steak and a cuddly toy. They sound more suited to the conveyor belt of The Generation Game than to a Premier League star's daily routine, but these are some of the things the Manchester City and Norway striker Erling Haaland credits with his success. Haaland recently shared the routine he believes keeps him at the top of his game on and off the pitch, but what would it do for a Guardian journalist?
"I have natural good flexibility in my groin and my hips which, for me, is so important to keep, because how do you score these goals?" Haaland said, raising his leg to reference some of his more acrobatic efforts, whilst receiving some massage treatment.
It's been a good day, doing lots of good things for my body and what I normally do in my life, Erling Haaland says in the opening seconds of the video that marked the launch of his YouTube channel on Thursday. The recording is entitled Day in the life of a pro footballer but this is not the most enticing start.
He is a striker in form, netting well over a goal a game, scoring in almost every match this season. He is leading his club's title charge and taking his country to the brink of the World Cup. Usually this would be a remarkable introduction for any one player. But this season it applies to not one, not two, but three of Europe's leading strikers.
First five minutes, he just kept on pushing me, so I was thinking, All right, let's have it', Haaland revealed to the Sky panel. So, then I started pushing him back, and for me, this is a proper goal. I was a bit tired before the game. Going into the game, I was thinking, It's going to be a tough game'. But then after 10 seconds, he starts pushing me, and he starts motivating me, so all praise to him, honestly, he made me want to do that.