Despite a second-half comeback, the Reds lost against Manchester United last weekend who secured Champions League qualification at the expense of their arch-rivals.
Liverpool remain in fourth but their is an intense battle underway to secure the remaining spots.
Chelsea’s hopes of qualifying for Europe’s premier club competition might be over. A dismal run of six defeats on the bounce – scoring just once in that run – has seen them slip down to ninth and could finish the weekend in the bottom half if results go against them.
A win on Merseyside would offer faint hope however and provide some much-needed momentum ahead of next week’s FA Cup final against Manchester City.
Metro’s LIVE matchday blog will bring you all the build-up, confirmed team news and starting XIs, goal updates and minute-by-minute coverage.
Former Arsenal star Emmanuel Petit says the Gunners ‘would love’ to sign Kylian Mbappe, believing the forward could leave Real Madrid ‘if the decision is made for him’.
A recent hamstring problem has kept the Frenchman out of the side, although he could be available again for Sunday’s Clasico showdown against Barcelona. Mbappe was given time off last week, taking a trip to Sardinia with the club’s permission.
Fans however were outraged when pictures emerged of the forward relaxing on a yacht with an online petition calling for him to leave the club now signed by over 32 million Madrid supporters.
Petit believes the only situation where Mbappe leaves the Bernabeu is one where he is ordered to move on by the club by president Florentino Perez.
In that event, Petit believes Mbappe would be ‘perfect’ for his old side on the left of attack.
Petit believes Arsenal could pull it off (Picture: Getty Images)
‘Arsenal would love Kylian Mbappe and he’d be perfect on their left wing,’ Petit told BOYLE Sports, who offer the latest Champions League betting.
‘The only reason I think Mbappe will stay at Real Madrid is because if he leaves without winning a trophy it would make his move a failure.
‘Mbappe has a huge ego so he will probably want to stay and to prove the opposite. I’m pretty sure about that. I don’t see him leaving Madrid, probably the biggest club in the world, unless the decision is made for him.
Mbappe would be ‘perfect’ for Arsenal (Picture: Getty)
‘The only way he leaves is if Florentino Perez cracks under the pressure. Four million fans have signed to say they want him to leave the club. That could be the end for Mbappe because Florentino Perez is a political guy.
‘If Arsenal win the Champions League for the first time then it would change the course of their history and send a strong message in the transfer market.
‘Players would of course want to play for the Champions League winners and hope they can go and win it again, it would help them attract Kylian Mbappe if he does leave Real Madrid.’
Carrick could have a difficult decision to make (Picture: Getty)
Amad Diallo no longer looks a threat for Manchester United with the club’s former right-back Paul Parker suggesting he could lose his place in the side ahead of today’s game against Sunderland.
The Ivory Coast international has endured a difficult season since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations at the start of the year, failing to register a single goal or assist since Micheal Carrick took the reins in January.
He was almost immediately at fault for Liverpool’s equalising goal, giving the ball away carelessly in midfield under no pressure.
Ahead of Saturday’s game against Sunderland – the club where Amad thrived on loan in the 2022-23 season – Amad’s place in the team is under scrutiny with Parker not convinced recent performances merit a starting role.
‘I’m going to say no, because for the levels he took himself to previously, Parker told Metro.
‘He’s not creating opportunities for himself or for others. He doesn’t look a threat.’
Amad has not scored a goal or provided an assist this year (Picture: Getty)
Amad and Bryan Mbeumo both had roles on the right under Ruben Amorim in his 3-4-3 formation. While Carrick’s system change has had a huge benefit of the team, it leaves just one role on the right open with Mbeumo frequently moved through the middle.
Amad was moved over to the left in the recent win over Brentford but was hauled off at half-time that evening.
With Mbeumo’s best football this season also coming from the right, Parker believes it is a problem for Carrick to address.
‘He [Amad] is a much better and happier attacking on his strongest foot and that’s to step inside on his left foot all the time and that’s where his strength is,’ Parker said via Daniel Bennet, betting and casino expert at CasinoCanada.
Mbeumo’s form has also dipped (PIcture: Getty)
‘Michael Carrick has a problem because Mbeumo, that’s his position as well from when he was at Brentford. That was his strength as well from there.
‘I’m sure you can play him through the middle, Mbeumo, but his strength is from there [on the right] and he can move around. He’s more comfortable coming off the right side and playing, then he moves around from there.
‘But if you start him in the middle, he doesn’t seem as comfortable because I think he loses that flexibility when he’s in the middle.
‘You put him on the right-hand side and what he does, because of the way he’s playing, he attracts players towards him and that’s it, because he’s such a threat that he loses that when he’s not in that position. So, he’s got a big problem.’
The 26-year-old needed stitches across his forehead and down to the top of his nose but was included on the Forest bench in Thursday night’s Europa League semi-final showdown with Aston Villa.
Vitor Pereira’s side’s led 1-0 after last week’s first leg at the City Ground but conceded four without reply last night as their European dream came to an end.
Gibbs-White, wearing a protective face mask, did not come off the bench with Pereira later revealing there was never any real chance he would call upon his midfielder.
‘No, [not] even for penalties,’ Pereira said. ‘I asked them to be there with us to try to give us the energy but they are not in conditions to play. Gibbs-White, not in condition. [Ibrahim] Sangare is not in condition. Dan Ndoye is not in condition.
‘Murillo was not in condition but after, Jair [Cunha] had problems, and we risk a bit, but he’s not in condition. There is a lot of players all out.’
Gibbs-White warmed up in a protective face mask (Picture: Getty)
Forest will be safe from relegation if they beat Newcastle on Sunday and West Ham fail to beat league leaders Arsenal later that day.
When asked if Gibbs-White will be available for the visit of Eddie Howe’s side, Pereira said: ‘I don’t know.
‘Aina, out. Dan Ndoye, out. Sangare, out. Callum, out. Murillo, out. Morgan, out. It is too much. I don’t know if some or one of them can recover for the next match. I don’t know.’
Gibbs-White has seven goals in his last eight games (Picture: Getty)
Asked if those players would make it back before the season comes to its conclusion, the Forest boss added: ‘I cannot answer because I don’t know.
‘I don’t know about Morgan. I don’t know about Ola. Callum is finished [for] the season. I don’t know about Murillo. Dan, I think Dan maybe can come back.
‘But in the end, I need tomorrow. That’s the day to understand the situation.’
