Liverpool

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We asked for your views after Liverpool were knocked out of the Champions League by Paris St-Germain on Tuesday.

Here are some of your comments:

Ian: Liverpool gave it a go, but you always felt PSG were comfortable. A lot has gone against Liverpool this season, but the thing that worries me is the lack of a clear style of play. The players are trying, but it all feels very 'off the cuff' and reactionary, and that ultimately comes down to coaching.

Frank: Disjointed and ineffective performance with an inexplicable choice of formation, choice of players and tactics. Slot is not capable of managing a football team at this level. He will arguably have to leave at the end of the season, just scraping into next year's Champions League by a whisker.

Karen: Played so much better in this match. Unfortunately we were up against a class act side in PSG. We were once, too, but not any more. Liverpool need a total overhaul to get back to being serious competition.

Michael: Slot needs to leave. The spirit of Champions League nights at Anfield is gone. It's now consistent mediocrity all around. No more fighting spirit left in us. Things can't go on like this.

Mark: Better but still couldn't score. Need a top-five finish now otherwise a very bad season.

Shane: Brave battle but knew the outcome would be a defeat. Yet again Slot messes with the line-up when he should have started with the team that beat Fulham. Can't wait to see the back of him.

Paul: We gave it some in the second half, but the game was lost when Slot named his starting line-up. To think we lost on penalties to PSG last year (admittedly they played better than us over two legs) but this year the gulf was enormous between us. Slot is clueless and needs to go - enough is enough.

Miko: Slot's decision to start an out-of-rhythm Isak was baffling at best and diabolical at worst. Still, the gulf in class between us and PSG was undeniable across both legs. Ekitike's serious injury rubbed salt into our wounds. It's maddening - our expensively assembled squad isn't good enough to challenge for trophies, transition season or not. Slot and Hughes must answer for the transfer business that landed us here. We have regressed while our closest rivals have progressed.

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Former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock believes the Reds could have been Premier League title contenders had they performed all season in the same manner as they did in their Champions League quarter-final second leg against Paris St-Germain.

Arne Slot's side provided a much-improved display and threatened to launch a comeback at Anfield before eventually being picked off on the counter-attack and recording another 2-0 defeat to exit 4-0 on aggregate.

"There was a real desire about the team to try to get a result," Warnock told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.

"They lifted the crowd and the crowd lifted them as well. They gave the crowd something to get off their seats about, there was an energy about them.

"I don't know where it's been. If they had played like that for most of the season, they would have been competing for the title.

"However, they still fell short in terms of really creating anything major and very clear.

"Paris St-Germain defended well at times, but I still think Liverpool are lacking some energy in wide areas with players who are direct. [Rio] Ngumoha came on but you could see his naivety at times.

"They are missing something at the moment, but [it was] a better performance."

Warnock added: "PSG don't carry men. Liverpool carry players and it's incredible. They carry [Florian] Wirtz, they carry [Mohamed] Salah, they carried [Alexander] Isak in the first half.

"You can't carry players. You watch PSG's attackers back in the full-back areas and you think 'that's a team, that's a performance'.

"Liverpool don't do that at the moment and that's a real concern."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Did you know?

• Liverpool have failed to score in both legs of a European Cup/Champions League knockout stage tie for the third time, after the 1978-79 first round v Nottingham Forest and the 2005-06 last-16 tie against Benfica.

• The Reds have lost five games in a single Champions League campaign for the first time - the ninth time a Premier League side has done so.

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French football journalist Julien Laurens says Arne Slot's starting line-up in Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final second-leg defeat by Paris St-Germain was "complete nonsense".

Slot opted to give Alexander Isak his first start since December and left Mohamed Salah on the bench - as he did in the first leg. Salah was introduced on the half-hour mark after Hugo Ekitike was forced off with what looked like a worrying injury.

He then made a double substitution at the break, taking off Isak for Cody Gakpo and Jeremie Frimpong for Joe Gomez, and Liverpool started the second half on the front foot but failed to make it count.

"I don't want to blame Arne Slot again like we did last week, but that line-up to start was complete nonsense," Laurens told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.

"That second half should have been exactly how Liverpool started the game to get the crowd going. It should not have been Isak from the start. I don't understand it.

"Slot made errors in the first leg in his line-up and the way they set up. We said before the game that he could not afford to get it wrong again.

"You can't change things at half-time and expect them to turn around this game, he had to get it right from the beginning.

"For me, again, he let the team down, the club down and the fans down.

"Isak could only have played 15 minutes. He made two passes and touched the ball five times. They played with 10 men in the first half. He could not have played 45 minutes. Ten at best at the end if you're pushing and you're 1-0 up maybe, but 45 - never in a million years and certainly not from the start."

Former Reds full-back Stephen Warnock added: "I watched him [Isak] here against Fulham and he was awful.

"He was non-existent [against PSG]. Gakpo did more in five minutes than Isak did in the whole first half. He is nowhere near fit. He's not got one ounce of fitness in him this season and it tells.

"You're thinking you can put him in against PSG in the biggest game of your season, against the best team in Europe, and think you're going to get a performance in 45 minutes - you can't just switch it on and off."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Did you know?

• Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak all started the same game for Liverpool for just the second time in all competitions, after their 5-1 win at Eintracht Frankfurt in October.

• Liverpool had 17 shots in the second half of this match, after having just four in the opening 45 minutes. PSG, on the other hand, had just four attempts after half-time (eight in the first half), scoring with two of them.

Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate is close to agreeing a new contract to stay at Anfield. The 26-year-old was expected to leave this summer but could now sign a four-year extension. (RMC - in French, external)

Meanwhile, the Reds want Hoffenheim and Ivory Coast winger Bazoumana Toure, 20, in the summer. (Teamtalk, external)

Borussia Dortmund and Germany centre-back Nico Schlotterbeck, 26, has a release clause of about £43m-£52m which only applies to three clubs - including Liverpool and Real Madrid, but not Bayern Munich. (Bild - in German, external)

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

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Two Premier League heavyweights are set to face each other this weekend at Etihad Stadium, as Manchester City host Arsenal.

Both teams go into the fixture with different targets. For Mikel Arteta's side, it is about extending their lead at the top of the table. For Pep Guardiola's side, it is about closing the gap and keeping themselves in the title race.

It is a fixture being labelled a title decider by some, so we want to know who you want to win this Sunday's match.

Will you be cheering on the Citizens or getting behind the Gunners?

Make your selection

Aadam Patel
Liverpool reporter

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This was always going to be an almighty ask for Liverpool.

Although they were miles better than they were last week in the French capital, Arne Slot's side simply didn't test goalkeeper Matvei Safonov enough.

On the eve of this game, both Slot and the players spoke about having the belief to do something special and they certainly threatened in phases, but there is little doubt the better team across the two legs won.

Had the penalty decision in the second half stayed in Liverpool's favour, who knows what could have happened - Luis Enrique's side were on the back foot at that moment as the hosts upped the ante.

But PSG constantly asked questions of Giorgi Mamardashvili and once the Georgian keeper was undone by a sublime finish from Ousmane Dembele, any belief left inside Anfield evaporated.

Liverpool can take some pride from their display against arguably the finest team in Europe, but the fact they failed to score across 180 minutes of football is simply not good enough. There is no shame in getting knocked out by PSG, but the final scoreline across two legs does not make for good reading.

In Slot's defence, it was only the second time his three major summer signings in Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz started a game together. Yet by half-time, only Wirtz was left on the pitch - with Ekitike forced off with an injury and Isak taken off, having only just returned from injury.

For Slot, qualifying for the Champions League next season is now the bare minimum.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot spoke to Amazon Prime after his side bowed out of the Champions League: "We got much more than we deserved last week by only losing 2-0, like last season. Also the same as last season today we got much less than we deserved. We should have won but it is from the quality of them why they don't concede.

"Last week was of course tough and very difficult but we showed in a week that we can improve a lot and it is a big compliment to the players that they showed how they could be.

"The players kept on going, even after going 1-0 down, and that is a big compliment to them.

"If you look at xG we should have scored two but didn't score one and that has happened far too often this season."

On Hugo Ekitike's injury, that led to an early substitution: "Not too good. We could all see it didn't look good. Let's wait and see what it will be. In the second half he went home and I haven't seen him yet.

"As it seems to be, losing a player is something we have had many times this season but it is especially hard for him because you never want to be injured, especially at this time of the season."

On the decision to overturn Liverpool's second-half penalty: "If you look at our season, I am completely not surprised because so many decisions have gone against us. For me it is quite simple, if the referee did not give a penalty the VAR would never have intervened.

"As I said I don't think it is a surprise this season, not just the Champions League but also in the Premier League many decisions have gone against us.

"We couldn't score a goal, we had many chances."

On the focus now on getting in the Premier League's top six: "Of course. That is what we have to play for now in the coming weeks. The good thing Alex [Isak] is back, well able to make minutes.

"Much has been said that the club is in a transition. The club has sold eight to 10 players to make money to sign five or so very talented players.

"We have to sell to buy. We are losing some players on a free transfer. It is a big challenge in the summer but the club has shown this model works. As I said many times, the future looks very good, especially if we can sign players after good players leaving this summer."

• Listen to more from Slot on BBC Sounds

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

Have your say on Liverpool's performance

Come back on Wednesday for a selection of your replies

Arne Slot starts with both Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike up top, with Isak making his first start since December. And just like in Paris last week, Mohamed Salah is left on the bench by the Liverpool boss.

Liverpool XI: Mamardashvili, Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez, Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Wirtz, Ekitike, Isak.

Subs: Woodman, Misciur, Gomez, Salah, Chiesa, Jones, Gakpo, Robertson, Nyoni, Nallo, Ngumoha.

For Paris St-Germain, Luis Enrique names an unchanged side from the team that beat Liverpool in Paris last week.

Paris St-Germain XI: Safonov, Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes, Zaire-Emery, Vitinha, Neves, Doue, Dembele, Kvaratskhelia.

Subs: Chevalier, Marin, Beraldo, Zabarnyi, Ramos, Lee, Hernandez, Mayulu, Dro, Barcola, Mbaye.

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Liverpool will have to create one of those special nights under the Anfield lights if they are to reach the Champions League semi-finals.

They go into the second leg of their quarter-final against Paris St-Germain on Tuesday trailing 2-0.

PSG had 18 shots to Liverpool's three in the first leg, of which six were on target for the French side and none for Liverpool, while the holders dominated the ball with 74% possession.

"I don't think they can afford to go with five at the back," said former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock on BBC Radio 5 Live. "It went against all the beliefs of Liverpool fans and almost what Arne Slot has spoken about this year on how he wants to play football.

"He doesn't want to be a defensive team that take long throws and set-pieces, and that's exactly what they tried to do out in Paris and it didn't work.

"They're going to have to go for it. It's going to be fascinating how this plays out because if they open up too much then Paris St-Germain have that quality to take you to pieces and they will be more clinical than other teams.

"My heart says they'll put on a great performance and get something out of the game, but it might not be enough.

"My head says I think this could be a really tough night. I think this could be one of those games where there's a lot of optimism around it, but the quality of Paris St-Germain might just be too much.

"The only thing I would say is there have been performances this season where you think 'I didn't see that coming'. That's the problem with Liverpool at the moment - they're very Jekyll and Hyde."

The Opta Supercomputer gives Liverpool a 15.3% chance of progressing to the semi-finals. The winner of the tie will face either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich for a place in the final.

Jordan Chamberlain
Fan writer

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Arne Slot hasn't got much right this season.

That said, his management of Rio Ngumoha has actually impressed me.

The teenager is a phenomenal talent, but he's not long 17 and you have to be careful in terms of his development. In total, he's played 23 matches, the majority off the bench, but he got his chance from the outset against Fulham on Saturday.

And boy did he take it. The wonderkid scored a beautiful goal and was involved in the build-up to Mohamed Salah's effort that finished the game. He rightly won the man of the match award.

As one superstar winger leaves the club this summer, are we witnessing the start of another's journey? Maybe.

Ngumoha has the fastest feet of any player I've ever seen. He's precocious and brave on the ball and seems to make good decisions in the box - which is a huge thing.

Now, it'll be interesting to see if Slot uses him from the beginning against Paris St-Germain on Tuesday.

My bet is that he'll start on the bench, with Slot putting Florian Wirtz on the left and Hugo Ekitike up top.

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

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On Monday we asked you whether youngster Rio Ngumoha should start for Liverpool in Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final second leg against Paris St-Germain.

The 17-year-old started and impressed against Fulham on Saturday, scoring and assisting in the 2-0 win.

A total of 84% of those of you who voted said the talented forward should start against the European champions, with 12% saying maybe but he would a better option off the bench and 3% voting that it would be too much pressure.

When asked in his pre-match news conference about Ngumoha's chances of starting , Arne Slot said: "He can cope with this type of game because of his personality."

Former Liverpool left-back Stephen Warnock told BBC Radio 5 Live he would also like to see Rio Ngumoha start on Tuesday because "he's dangerous" and "a threat."

"It's is a difficult one because he's the player that is igniting the Anfield crowd at the moment," said Warnock. "He's the one getting them off their feet, and he's the one who carries a threat going forward.

"It's going to be a difficult one, a difficult call. I fully expect him to go with [Cody] Gakpo or [Florian] Wirtz on that left-hand side and I think Ngumoha will come off the bench a little later on.

"The only problem then is it could be too late, so Slot's got a little bit of a dilemma there. Whether he trusts the youngster or not let's wait and see.

"Personally, I'd give him a go because he's dangerous. But you will have to rely on other players to cover him and make sure they protect that left-hand side."

You can add your choice here

• Listen to Slot's news conference for the game

• Listen to Szoboszlai speak to the media

Liverpool and Manchester United are keen on RB Leipzig captain David Raum having been impressed with the 27-year-old Germany left-back during scouting missions this season. (Teamtalk), external

Liverpool are set to evaluate handing a new contract to 33-year-old Brazil goalkeeper Alisson next season. (Football Insider), external

Former Liverpool and Paris St-Germain midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum is keen to make a return to the Premier League next season, with the 35-year-old Dutchman's contract with Saudi Arabian club Al-Ettifaq expiring this summer. (Sky Sports), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has been speaking to the media before Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final against Paris St-Germain at Anfield (20:00 BST).

The Reds trail 2-0 from the first leg.

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• On whether Liverpool can overturn the two-goal deficit, Slot said: "We've shown so many times this season in big games we are able to get a big performance. Many were very good. In 49 home games over the last year-and-a-half, in 36 we have scored two goals or more. We have not played all these 49 games against Paris St-Germain, but the Premier League and Champions League opponents we had were very strong. So there is a belief we can do special things tomorrow but we know we need to be very special because we are playing the champions of Europe."

• Will he play a back three again like in the first leg?: "People find it very hard to believe but the approach is not so different tomorrow as it was in Paris. People who know me know I don't put out a team that defends in a low block for 90 minutes. You could see we pressed them high on multiple occasions. The approach tomorrow will be to take the risk, press them, but we saw how difficult that is."

• On the importance of a fast start: "We know we need an exceptional performance to go through, but that's normal if you're playing the champions of Europe and 2-0 down. Let's make sure we can get back into the tie and the best way is scoring the first goal. Saturday showed the importance of a goal. First 20 minutes we were the better team by far. Then it was more even for 10 minutes and then we scored and scored again. That is what you can do in football."

• Slot was asked about Ibrahima Konate, who has previously been linked with a move to PSG and is out of contract at the end of the season: "It's going to be a special evening for Ibou only for a small part because he's French but a big part as he's playing in the quarter-final of the Champions League. The answer is always the same, we don't talk about contracts in public."

• On 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha, who scored and assisted against Fulham on Saturday, and the expectations around him: "He can cope with this type of game because of his personality, he doesn't get distracted. Everyone who knows his history more knows he has had a lot of expectation for many years and he's always been able to focus on football and become better and stronger. At 17 he has already had multiple starts for Liverpool and the second thing is his quality."

• Slot says he believes the Anfield crowd can be "even louder than last season": "Just as important as our performance. We have to be much, much, much better than last season. Their players think they know what is coming up and it's up to Anfield to find a next level. That won't be easy as the atmosphere that night was incredible. But I think our fans are up for it to make it louder. First of all they will expect a better performance from us. Our fans, I can trust them to be even louder than last season."

Listen to live commentary of Liverpool v PSG on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds

Follow all of Monday's European news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Got a question about Liverpool? Get in touch here and we'll seek answers from our experts

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Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai says overturning the 2-0 first leg deficit against Paris St-Germain in their Champions League quarter-final second leg tie at Anfield would be the "biggest comeback of my career".

"I completely believe we can overturn it [the 2-0 deficit] because I know what we are able to do and what players we have," he said ahead of Tuesday's game.

"I know the mentality we have as we have shown it many times. That is what we need tomorrow.

"We are going to go all in and give our best from minute one to 90, or more. I am ready to die on the pitch tomorrow.

"I want it so bad, we have worked for it so hard. In one game anything can happen at Anfield.

"Of course it would be one of the biggest comebacks in my career. Especially for Liverpool. Against PSG in the quarter-final of the Champions League, after being 2-0 down."

In a difficult season for the Reds, Szoboszlai has been a standout performer. However, there was a moment of tension when he shrugged his shoulders and motioned towards the travelling Liverpool fans after the 4-0 FA Cup defeat at Manchester City.

Asked about his reaction, the midfielder played it down and apologised for any offence caused.

"Maybe it was a misunderstanding between the fans and I," he added.

"I didn't mean it in a bad way. Obviously I know what the fans mean to this club and what this club means to the fans.

"As a player, we do everything for them as we do for us.

"If it was a misunderstanding I apologise but they can feel also that I'm not feeling better than them. I'm feeling exactly the same as they do.

"To make it clear I am with them, we are with them and hopefully they are with us as well."

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Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk says the Reds must make it a "memorable night" if they are to overturn a two-goal deficit against Paris St-Germain and provide a classic Anfield Champions League occasion on Tuesday.

Arne Slot's side trail 2-0 from last week's first leg in the Parc des Princes, but beat Fulham 2-0 at home on Saturday to build some momentum before the visit of the European champions.

"We need something very special to happen otherwise we will have no chance," said van Dijk.

"If we play like we did in Paris then we will have no chance anyway, in my opinion.

"The fans will probably be the most important factor, together with our performance.

"I've been very lucky to experience those nights where the connection between the fans and the performance has been unbelievable.

"There is an opportunity on Tuesday to come up with a good gameplan and fight for it for 90-plus minutes.

"I am really looking forward to it. It's a privilege to be in the quarter-finals regardless. We shouldn't take that for granted.

"We have to remember we are Liverpool. We have to make it a memorable night."

Against the Cottagers, fans unveiled banners to protest against ticket price increases and boycotted spending money at food and drink outlets inside the stadium.

On fan discontent, Van Dijk added: "I think the fans are the heart and soul of the club and if they feel like this, to protest, obviously it's their right.

"Hopefully they come to a solution with the club, but these things are far above me as the captain of the club.

"In my opinion our fans are the club and have always been, before my time, after my time.

"It's important that these things get solved because it benefits no-one."

The Premier League's return this weekend brought all sorts of feelings to the surface again for Liverpool fans.

Their much-needed 2-0 victory over Fulham at Anfield came amid fan protests against proposed ticket price increases.

Liverpool's 17-year-old prodigy Rio Ngumoha stole the show, impressing on the left wing and providing the opening goal which set Arne Slot's side on their way to three points.

One fan wrote in to say Ngumoha "demonstrated why he should start more often" in his most recent performance, but BBC Sport's chief football writer Phil McNulty believes starting him against Paris St-Germain would be "a high-risk strategy".

Cast your vote on whether he should feature in the starting XI here