Liverpool’s players and coaching staff barely had time to digest the 4-3 win over Fulham on Sunday before thoughts turned to their next assignment.

The first midweek round of Premier League fixtures in 2023/24, on which you can place a bet with https://casinosnotongamstop.net, sees the Reds travel to face Sheffield United on Wednesday night, with an even quicker turnaround for the visit to Crystal Palace on Saturday lunchtime.

The compact scheduling, which’ll see Jurgen Klopp’s side make trips to Yorkshire and south London in the space of 72 hours, will surely see the manager ring the changes to his starting XI from one game to the next in order to utilise the depth of his squad and keep players fresh.

Liverpool starting XI v Fulham

Firstly, a quick reminder of the starting XI that Klopp selected for the 4-3 win over Fulham on Sunday. One man who we definitely know won’t be playing at Bramall Lane or Selhurst Park is Joel Matip, who hobbled out of yesterday’s clash and will be out injured for the foreseeable future.

Liverpool predicted XI v Sheffield United

Injuries to the likes of Andy Robertson, Matip, Thiago Alcantara and Diogo Jota have lessened Klopp’s options when it comes to squad rotation, so there mightn’t be as much of an overhaul for the Wednesday night trip to Sheffield United.

Ibrahima Konate is likely to start at centre-back in place of the stricken Cameroonian, while Wataru Endo could come into the side following his goalscoring heroics on Sunday. Curtis Jones and Cody Gakpo are also possible starters, having both begun on the bench against Fulham.

Liverpool predicted XI v Crystal Palace

The rapid turnaround to Palace on Saturday could see a few more changes in personnel, especially for those who start the two preceding games.

We expect to see Joe Gomez come into the side either on the right or in the centre of defence, while Jarell Quansah might also be called upon to start if Klopp is wary of handing Konate two starts in four days.

Alexis Mac Allister should come back in if he’s rested against the Blades, while Harvey Elliott could also be given an overdue start. Dominik Szoboszlai might be held in reserve, with the Hungarian having not scored for Liverpool since the end of September.

One personnel change in attack could see Gakpo moved to the left to accommodate the return of Darwin Nunez, with Luis Diaz given a breather.

Perhaps the most interesting alteration seen above is the possibility of Trent starting in midfield outright, rather than being tasked with the hybrid role that he’s played for much of 2023.

EOTK FPL Gameweek 14 Review : HOLD Trippier? The long-term view, Zinchenko’s time to shine? Eject your Villans?

The post Operation Rotation: How might Klopp ring the changes to keep Liverpool fresh and winning? appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Liverpool are among the Premier League outfits surely poised to earn an increase in top-flight revenue following the conclusion of live UK package deals with Sky Sports and TNT Sports.

The agreement in question will see live rights value rise by four per cent as part of a £6.7bn delivery in revenue over a four-year process (from 2025/26 onwards) – the ‘largest sports media rights deals ever concluded in the UK’, according to the Premier League’s official website.

Sky Sports are the ultimate winners of the arrangement, having secured a dominant share of the live rights, snapping up packages B through to D (a minimum of 215 live matches per season).

READ MORE: Liverpool’s 83-touch colossus just posted a 10/10 defensive performance vs LASK

READ MORE: Monstrous: 20-year-old Liverpool speedster welcomed LASK to hell in first-half

The Premier League stays in the green

Despite fears over when the Premier League’s meteoric financial rise will reach its natural apex, the English top-flight continues to pull the big bucks when it comes to live rights.

It remains to be seen how exactly this will affect Liverpool’s revenue numbers, though even a four per cent increase on the prior process’ result will surely be at least reasonably beneficial for our coffers.

It’s not a benefit that will be solely enjoyed by ourselves, of course, though one might imagine our competitors abroad in La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1 will all be looking over somewhat jealously at the Premier League’s ongoing financial growth.

#Ep96 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

The post Liverpool poised to bank millions as ‘largest’ ever £6.7bn behind-the-scenes deal agreed appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Gary Neville has named one crucial ‘factor’ which he thinks could potentially keep Liverpool in the Premier League title race for most of the season.

A dramatic 4-3 win over Fulham at Anfield on Sunday kept the Reds within two points of leaders Arsenal and one ahead of Manchester City, who drew for a third successive top-flight game in a six-goal thriller at home to Tottenham.

In his eponymous podcast following the latter fixture, the Sky Sports pundit was asked by commentary colleague Peter Drury if he felt the Reds have the ‘wherewithal’ to go toe-to-tie with last season’s top two.

Neville wasn’t entirely convinced about our title prospects, but thinks that having a ‘proven’ winner in Jurgen Klopp could be our biggest asset.

He said: “Liverpool I’m not sure about, but then they’ve got Klopp, so I think that’s a factor because he can win and he’s proven he can win.

“Arsenal have still got to demonstrate in a run-in – and they’ve got to get to that run-in first – but they look like they’re on track to be in a run-in again. I’m more confident that this year they’ll handle a run-in than they did last year, because last year there’s no doubt they went under. They didn’t have enough.”

Neville added: “What I would want to see is Arsenal and City in a run-in again. If Liverpool are there as well it becomes a three-horse race, great, but usually in the last five or six games, it becomes two.”

Klopp’s experience of going the distance in title races against Man City could prove pivotal if the Reds find themselves in that situation again during the spring.

While Liverpool have twice taken Pep Guardiola’s side to the final day in the previous five campaigns, along with romping to the trophy in 2020, Arsenal fell away badly in the closing weeks of last term, so their physical and mental stamina to take it to the wire remains the biggest unknown among Mikel Arteta’s squad.

Any of those three teams could experience a drastic swing in form, for better or worse, in the coming months, but right now it looks as if they’re all capable of being genuine title contenders come the business end of the season.

You can see Neville’s comments below (from 9:24), via Sky Sports Premier League on YouTube:

The post Gary Neville cites Liverpool ‘factor’ which could be huge in title race with Arsenal and Man City appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Richard Dunne believes that Liverpool will be the main challengers to his former club Manchester City in the Premier League title race this season.

The two teams shared a 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium last weekend as Trent Alexander-Arnold’s late strike cancelled out Erling Haaland’s first-half goal, with Arsenal going above both sides to sit at the summit after they won at Brentford a few hours later.

However, the ex-Republic of Ireland defender believes it’ll be Jurgen Klopp’s side rather than the Gunners who stand the best chance of stopping Pep Guardiola’s team from winning a fourth successive top-flight crown.

In a Q&A with online betting site Betway, Dunne replied when asked who’d be Man City’s ‘biggest challengers’ for the title: “City and Liverpool will be up there. I’m still not sure about Arsenal and if they can compete in all the different competitions.

“Is their squad big enough? People have already spoken about their lack of a centre forward. They’ve created their own problems in the goalkeeping department, which now seems to be a big issue.

“Tottenham have shown they’re just not strong enough with a few injuries. I’m more inclined to go with Liverpool.”

READ MORE: Liverpool admire ‘Champions League level’ gem touted for ‘big future’; Tyler Morton knows him well

READ MORE: Liverpool-linked speedster makes 12-word declaration on his future amid exit rumours

Liverpool passed a big acid test in their draw against Man City last weekend, earning a deserved point against the champions, even if neither team played to their strongest level.

With Tottenham having lost three successive games this month, the Reds and Arsenal currently look like the main contenders to City’s throne, although Aston Villa can’t be discounted at the moment either, sitting just two point off the summit.

Over the last few years of Guardiola-led dominance, it’s Klopp’s side who’ve done more than anyone else to arrest the monopoly, storming to the title in 2019/20 and coming within a single point of toppling the Manchester side in two other campaigns where 97 and 92 points still weren’t enough to finish as champions.

If Liverpool are to knock City off their perch this season, though, their away form simply must improve – they haven’t won any of their last four top-flight matches on their travels, dating back to beating Wolves at Molineux in mid-September.

Should they put that anomaly right from December onwards, and if their lethal forward line can continue to rack up goals at an impressive rate, they’re likely to prove Dunne correct in terms of proving the sternest test to the four-in-a-row chasers.

If these two are neck-and-neck at the top when City come to Anfield in March, that’ll have all the makings of an epic – and potentially title race-defining – contest on Merseyside!

EOTK FPL Gameweek 13 Review : Trippier OUT & Zinchenko IN? Gordon the ultimate differential? Haaland & Salah must-haves

The post Richard Dunne: Liverpool likely to be Man City’s main challengers in title race this season appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

The Premier League took an unprecedented course of action following a hugely controversial incident in one Liverpool match earlier this season.

The Reds’ 2-1 defeat at Tottenham in September was tainted by Luis Diaz’s goal being incorrectly disallowed for offside, with the subsequent publication of VAR audio showing that the officials on duty erred in the communication process surrounding that decision.

The Times reported that, in the wake of that wholly preventable saga, EPL executives enlisted the help of two pilots from British Airways to speak with referees and advise them on how to adopt a more succinct and professional dialogue in assessing decisions referred to VAR.

One of the main grievances from the audio relating to the incident in north London was the shockingly informal nature of the conversation between the officials adjudicating on it.

During a 45-minute presentation, the pilots stressed the importance of keeping calm under pressure and drew comparisons between the two professions, noting how aviators filter out white noise on take-off and landing and refine communications with air traffic controllers.

READ MORE: ‘Liverpool should have bought him’ – BBC pundits claim Reds missed the boat on 29y/o ‘bargain’

READ MORE: ‘You’ve got to…’ – Paul Merson urges Klopp to start £135k-p/w Liverpool duo against Man City

That the Premier League felt a compulsion to bring in advisors from outside of football in an attempt to improve refereeing process is a welcome admission that things need to improve, but also a damning indictment of the standards of officiating at such a high level.

If pilots can exert extreme composure when dozens of lives are literally in their hands, it begs the question as to how referees at the peak of English football constantly seem to bumble their way through making a decision which the everyday TV viewer could probably call correctly.

The ‘pub chat’ nature of the dialogue over Diaz’s disallowed goal served only to compound the annoyance of Liverpool fans who’d justifiably felt cheated against Spurs, while also underlining why VAR audio should be publicly transmissible as a matter of course, not just for selected occasions.

Look at how efficiently the discussions between a rugby referee and their TMO generally run. The conversation is detached, objective and analytical, with viewers being given a transparent understanding of the decision-making process.

PGMOL chief Howard Webb has previously tried to shelter his officials behind the cloak of the rulebook not allowing for VAR dialogue to be heard in real-time. Perhaps it’s time to rip up that rule and improve trust from the public by removing that veil of secrecy.

We live in hope that the pilots’ presentation will result in an improvement to Premier League officiating, but we’ll only believe it once we see it consistently.

10 games in 33 days: Liverpool’s title credentials set to be put to the test during relentless round-off to 2023

The post Premier League took unprecedented action following incident in Liverpool match this season appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Liverpool resume their Premier League campaign on Saturday with a trip to the Etihad Stadium to face leaders and reigning champions Manchester City, in what promises to be their toughest test of the season so far.

The Reds go into the game just one point off the summit and will go top if they can get the better of Pep Guardiola’s side, in turn also laying down a serious marker as to their title aspirations for 2023/24.

A look at sports betting in the UK with Betiton shows that these two are prime candidates to go on and lift the trophy next May, and LFC fans have plenty of reasons to believe that Jurgen Klopp’s side can triumph when all is said and done.

READ MORE: Liverpool act to avoid repeat of September scenario as Reds quartet battle the clock to face City

READ MORE: Liverpool plot January raid for ‘elite’ £52m gem who’s keen on Premier League move

Fortress Anfield

Liverpool have a 100% record on home soil this season not just in the Premier League, but across all competitions, emerging victorious in each of their nine games so far at Anfield in 2023/24.

Incredibly, barring a freak six-game losing streak during the behind-closed-doors campaign three years ago, the Reds have lost just once on home turf in the top flight since April 2017 – an extraordinary consistency which gives them a genuine chance of going all the way.

That is, if they can improve upon a patchy away record which hasn’t seen them win on the road in the Premier League since beating Wolves at Molineux in mid-September.

The Egyptian King

Whoever is responsible for rejecting Al-Ittihad’s £150m offer for Mo Salah in early September can’t be thanked enough.

The Egyptian has been consistently excellent for Liverpool ever since joining the Reds in 2017, but even by his standards he’s having an exceptional impact this term, with 12 goals and four assists in 17 matches.

A return of seven goals in his last five Premier League games highlights just how pivotal he is to Klopp’s side.

He’s our centre-half…

Virgil van Dijk was getting pelters left, right and centre throughout last season, but since the summer he’s looked a man reborn.

In a throwback to his 2018-2020 prime, he’s yet to be dribbled past once in the Premier League this term, despite playing for every minute aside from the portion of the win at Newcastle when he was sent off, and the subsequent game for which he was suspended.

The Dutchman is back to his imperious best, taking to the club captaincy like a duck to water. It’s no wonder Liverpool currently have the division’s joint-best defensive record with him marshalling operations.

Enviable squad depth

Players like Salah and Van Dijk are undoubtedly pivotal, but unlike in previous years, there’s a sense that Liverpool could change more than half of their starting line-up without greatly weakening it.

Think of the decisions Klopp could make if he’d a fully fit squad at his disposal. Ibrahima Konate, Joel Matip, Joe Gomez or Jarell Quansah to partner the captain at centre-back? Darwin Nunez or Cody Gakpo at centre-forward? Luis Diaz or Diogo Jota on the left?

As for midfield, a trio of Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai could easily be rotated for Thiago Alcantara, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott, and that’s before we even mention Wataru Endo and Stefan Bajcetic.

Meanwhile, Caoimhin Kelleher would walk into most starting line-ups in the Premier League. He’s mightily unfortunate to have the world-class Alisson Becker in front of him at Anfield.

New-found belief

Liverpool have made a frustrating habit of conceding first in games this season, but they’ve also made a much more encouraging habit of recovering from adversity to come out on top, or at least salvage a point.

Go back to 2022/23 and, for much of the campaign, the Reds seemed to fold when falling behind, particularly if it were to an early goal. Contrast that to now, and the self-belief which has seen them score crucial late goals against the likes of Newcastle, Wolves and Luton.

There’s also been plenty of games where LFC have dominated with ease, with wins over Aston Villa, Toulouse, Nottingham Forest and Brentford displaying a conviction which was often lacking last season.

10 games in 33 days: Liverpool’s title credentials set to be put to the test during relentless round-off to 2023

The post Five reasons why Liverpool can win the 2023/24 Premier League appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

It’s understood that Liverpool are the club leading the push for the Premier League to resolve the Financial Fair Play (FFP) case regarding Manchester City.

That’s according to Football Insider, who claimed that the Merseyside outfit are ‘applying pressure’ for the investigation into the champions’ 115 charges for breaches of financial regulations to be concluded by the start of the 2024/25 season.

The report mentions that City’s rivals are growing frustrated at the length of time being taken to act on that particular case, with the charges coming to light back in February, and Manchester United are also believed to have taken action for their neighbours’ case to be resolved.

It comes just a few days after Everton were deducted 10 points upon being found guilty of breaching financial regulations following an independent commission’s ruling, with that one charge brought about in March.

READ MORE: (Video) Jarell Quansah channels his inner Trent with sublime 60-yard pass for England U21s

READ MORE: ‘Gunpowder’ – Liverpool maestro had country’s media salivating after his latest national team display

Cynics will undoubtedly label Liverpool’s reported push for a resolution to City’s FFP case as an act of self-interest, given the rivalry which has grown between the two clubs over the past decade following several Premier League title battles.

However, it’s telling that the Reds aren’t alone in demanding a swift conclusion to the investigation surrounding the Manchester club, with even their arch-rivals United also seemingly wanting the matter closed sooner rather than later.

Questions have inevitably been asked as to why Everton were handed such a draconian punishment for one charge when the substantially wealthier Man City have thus far avoided any penalty for 115.

Even when taking into account that the latter case is evidently larger (and therefore bound to be more time-consuming) and that – unlike with the Toffees – the champions haven’t been found guilty, scepticism will continue to abound.

The investigation into City’s FFP charges has reportedly taken more than four years, so you’d like to think that a verdict will be reached in the foreseeable future. If they are deemed guilty of the relevant offences, it’ll be most interesting to see what penalty is handed out in the context of Everton’s 10-point deduction.

10 games in 33 days: Liverpool’s title credentials set to be put to the test during relentless round-off to 2023

The post Liverpool leading push for Premier League to act on FFP as swift crackdown demanded – report appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

The third and final international break of the autumn gives Liverpool fans a chance to draw breath and take stock of the Reds’ season so far, before the turbo-charge of 10 games in 32 days once club action resumes.

While many of Jurgen Klopp’s squad are jetting off to represent their countries this week, those remaining on Merseyside will have some welcome down-time, which they may put to use by playing games such as those from Vulkan Vegas.

With roughly a third of the campaign boxed off, let’s review how it’s gone for LFC so far across the three competitions in which they’ve played.

READ MORE: ‘It’s wrong…’ – John Aldridge urges Liverpool to use ‘joke’ situation as ‘motivation’ v Man City

READ MORE: (Video) Darwin Nunez’s tigerish determination saw one opponent floored during Liverpool win

Premier League

Liverpool are in a very healthy position in the Premier League table, sitting just one point behind leaders Manchester City, who they meet next at the Etihad Stadium.

The Reds have 27 points from their first dozen matches, boasting the league’s joint-best defensive record with only 10 goals conceded. That’s 11 points more than we had at the equivalent stage last season, when we were ninth in the table following a 1-2 defeat at home to Leeds.

Six wins out of six at Anfield by an aggregate scoreline of 17-2 have helped to fuel hopes of a prolonged title challenge, but our prospects of being crowned champions are minimal unless we improve upon an away record which has seen us win just two out of six games on the road, and none since mid-September.

City at the Etihad is as tough an assignment as they come, but our three away games in December against Sheffield United, Crystal Palace and Burnley must yield the maximum return of nine points if we’re to be serious about topping the table at the end of the season.

Europa League

Gallingly, an opportunity for Liverpool to wrap up top spot in Group E was squandered last Thursday when they deservedly lost 3-2 to Toulouse. However, the Reds are still well on course to make it into the knockout phase without too much drama.

Victory at home to bottom club LASK in our next game on 30 November would ensure progression, and it’d also seal first place if Toulouse fail to beat Union Saint-Gilloise the same night. Topping the group is paramount, as it’d send us straight into the round of 16 in March, thus avoiding a play-off tie the previous month.

Liverpool’s destiny is in their own hands. Win their final two games and top spot is theirs, irrespective of what happens elsewhere.

Carabao Cup

Liverpool are the only team in the current Premier League top six remaining in the Carabao Cup, which has suddenly opened up as theoretically our easiest route to a trophy this season.

A home tie against West Ham awaits in the quarter-finals, and one of Chelsea or Newcastle will be knocked out at that stage as they face each other.

Klopp will continue to rotate for this competition, especially amid a hectic December, but a much-changed Reds line-up could still get the better of David Moyes’ side, which’d put a late February trip to Wembley within touching distance.

Liverpool’s season won’t be defined by what they do in the Carabao Cup, but the squad will unquestionably have designs on winning it from here.

Anfield Annals: Matt McQueen – the Anfield all-rounder who did everything in 36 years as a Red

The post So far so good for Liverpool this season, but relentless pre-Christmas schedule could be defining appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Liverpool will aim to go into the international break on a winning note when they host Brentford at Anfield in the Premier League this afternoon.

The Reds have endured a difficult week on the pitch, needing a last-gasp equaliser to salvage a point at Luton and losing to Toulouse in the Europa League, so Jurgen Klopp will be desperate to see his side return to winning ways and doing so with conviction following those couple of insipid performances.

We go into the game with a 100% record at home in all competitions this season, although the Bees come to Merseyside off the back of three successive wins, with Thomas Frank’s side hoping to bloody the noses of a ‘big 6’ club once more today.

In terms of the Liverpool team to take on Brentford, there are unsurprisingly a plethora of changes in personnel from Thursday’s defeat in France, with some established names coming back in and others ruled out due to injury or suspension.

READ MORE: (Video) Fabrizio Romano says Liverpool-linked Declan Rice-esque starlet is one to ‘keep an eye on’

READ MORE: Romano: Liverpool ‘appreciate’ £50m wonderkid who’s been likened to Trent; scouts have been sent

Alisson resumes his place as our first-choice Premier League goalkeeper, coming back in for Caoimhin Kelleher.

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk are restored to the defence, with Kostas Tsimikas and Joel Matip keeping their places from the Toulouse game.

Wataru Endo starts again in midfield and Dominik Szoboszlai returns to the starting line-up, having come on as a substitute in France. Alexis Mac Allister’s domestic suspension forces him out of the side, with Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch both missing out through injury.

Cody Gakpo moves to a midfield role, with a fully changed front three of Mo Salah, Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota.

Standing out among the substitutes is 16-year-old Trey Nyoni, off the back of some superb displays at underage level.

You can catch the full team news below, courtesy of @LFC on Twitter/X:

The Reds to take on Brentford #LIVBRE

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) November 12, 2023

EOTK FPL Gameweek 11 Review : The Fantasy week from HELL, the Doku & Jackson show & xG paying off

The post Klopp makes 7 changes, Endo starts, 16y/o on the bench – Liverpool team news v Brentford confirmed appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Reflecting on Liverpool’s momentous Premier League title triumph in 2020, Bobby Firmino admitted that the celebrations felt somewhat hollow without the club’s fans being able to enjoy the moment with the players.

The worldwide pandemic brought not just football, but much of society, to a standstill that year. When the world’s most popular sport resumed in England after a seemingly interminable period, matches were played but supporters were locked out of stadia.

It was amid that eerie climate that the Reds finally became Premier League champions, and while none of us will ever forget the night we had that status conferred upon us, it was a crying shame that such a loyal and devoted fanbase couldn’t celebrate it with their heroes.

In an excerpt from his new book ‘Si Senor: My Liverpool Years’ which was serialised by the Daily Mail, Firmino recalled how that missing element was inescapable amid the title celebrations.

He wrote: “Less than a week after the restart of the Premier League, we were champions. It was a special moment. Different, of course. The joy was there, we jumped and embraced each other, but it wasn’t a celebration like the others. There was no escaping the feeling that something was not right, that something had been denied to us.

“Liverpool fans had waited 30 years to celebrate the title and, when it came, they could only shout, ‘We are the champions!’ from within their own homes. It wasn’t bitter, of course not. It was a moment of great joy that I shared with my team-mates, but it could have been better.”

On lifting the Premier League trophy at an empty Anfield, Firmino reflected: “The reality was that our ground had become just a patch of grass and concrete. Some teams suffered more from playing without fans during the pandemic, some less. We suffered much more than anyone without our supporters. It just never felt right.”

READ MORE: 6 duels won, 3 dribbles – Liverpool U21 starlet enhanced his reputation with ‘lively showing’

READ MORE: Koeman sends Euro 2024 message to Ryan Gravenberch after autumn feud with Liverpool midfielder

At the time, we were just glad to see Liverpool end their 30-year wait for a league title, a moment which could’ve been denied to them had some bitter and jealous influencers in the media got their way in calling for the campaign to be cut short or even scrapped entirely.

Thankfully sense prevailed, the season was played out to its conclusion and Jurgen Klopp’s side got their just reward, but more than three years on, there’s certainly a sense of regret that there couldn’t be an official celebration between fans and players.

When you look back on the scenes around the city for the homecoming for the 2019 Champions League triumph, just think of how euphoric it would’ve been had the LFC squad been able to do something similar for winning the Premier League a year later.

It seemed no coincidence that, of the seven top-flight home games Liverpool have lost since April 2017, six were during a freakish two-month period when lockdown precluded Anfield’s four stands from being filled with their usual cauldron of noise from a passionate support.

There’s only one thing for it…go and win the title again, but during a time when there are no social distancing restrictions and the fans can truly feel a part of it!

 EOTK FPL Gameweek 11 Review : The Fantasy week from HELL, the Doku & Jackson show & xG paying off

The post ‘Something was not right’ – Bobby Firmino admits momentous Liverpool occasion had one huge flaw appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Jurgen Klopp will be hoping that a historic feud with one man in particular won’t be reignited when Liverpool face Brentford next Sunday.

The Premier League has confirmed the refereeing appointments for the upcoming round of fixtures, with Paul Tierney the man in the middle at Anfield.

It’ll be the first time the 42-year-old has officiated a game involving the Reds since the dramatic 4-3 win over Tottenham last April, after which the LFC manager was hit with an improper conduct charge for comments he made about the whistler.

The refereeing team for the Liverpool-Brentford game is completed by Scott Ledger, Mark Scholes (assistant referees), Tim Robinson (fourth official), Stuart Attwell (VAR) and Harry Lennard (assistant VAR).

READ MORE: John Aldridge urges Liverpool to remedy one big problem if they’re to be title contenders this term

READ MORE: ‘In the next…’ – Fabrizio Romano drops timeline hint regarding Liverpool’s pursuit of Andre

Liverpool fans could be recoiling in horror at discovering that Tierney will take charge of the Brentford game, given the history between him and the Reds over the past couple of years.

It was he who neglected to penalise Oliver Skipp with a card for a brutal, over-the-top lunge on Luis Diaz in Spurs’ defeat at Anfield towards the end of last season, just three weeks after he booked Andy Robertson for protesting about being elbowed in the throat by assistant referee Constantine Hatzidakis against Arsenal.

When LFC met Tottenham away in the previous campaign, the Scottish left-back was on the wrong end of a horrific challenge from Harry Kane, who somehow wasn’t sent off, and Tierney also let Emerson Royal away with a clear foul on Diogo Jota inside the penalty area that evening (BBC Sport).

The 42-year-old’s rap sheet when Liverpool face London opposition is worryingly populated, and Klopp will just be hoping there aren’t further flashpoints added to it next Sunday.

Nobody wants to be haranguing referees, who undertake an incredibly difficult and thankless job, but as we’ve witnessed so often already this season, match officials in the Premier League frequently don’t help themselves.

Ideally will preserve their 100% home record at the weekend and will do so without Tierney being the talking point.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Andre ticks a box, Liverpool have a ‘real top player’ with Kevin De Bruyne gift, unfair treatment of Nunez and much more!

The post Jurgen Klopp will face familiar Liverpool foe next weekend as pre-Brentford news is announced appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Virgil van Dijk has had to contend with plenty of criticism within England and from his native Netherlands over the past 12 months, but the Liverpool captain has been imperious during the current campaign.

Three years on from his horrendous ACL injury, the 32-year-old is getting back to the dominant levels that he reached so consistently at the turn of the decade when the Reds won the Champions League and then the Premier League.

Statistical specialists WhoScored highlighted one piece of information which sums up the Dutchman’s enduring brilliance and his renaissance from the comparative lows of 2022/23, when he was dribbled past with the joint-highest regularity of his English top-flight career (0.3 per game).

On Monday morning, they posted on X: “Of the 49 centre-backs to have started 5+ matches in the Premier League this season, only Virgil van Dijk is yet to be dribbled past”.

Of the 49 centre-backs to have started 5+ matches in the Premier League this season, only Virgil van Dijk is yet to be dribbled past pic.twitter.com/8B5B1hTNFR

— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) November 6, 2023

READ MORE: Luton manager Rob Edwards shares what he was thinking after glaring Nunez miss for Liverpool

READ MORE: (Video) Van Dijk shows his class with fantastic gesture to mascot ahead of Luton v Liverpool

Van Dijk has played for 748 out of 990 minutes in the Premier League for Liverpool so far this season (Transfermarkt), and had it not been for his red card at Newcastle and subsequent two-game suspension, he’d probably boast an ever-present record.

His virtually guaranteed selection makes it all the more remarkable that he’s made it this far into the campaign without once seeing an opponent gliding past him with the ball.

In one match alone in the 1-1 draw against Luton on Sunday, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alexis Mac Allister were dribbled past eight times between them (Sofascore). Even allowing for neither of those being a centre-back, it highlights just how brilliantly the Reds captain has done that it hasn’t happened to him once all season.

Van Dijk famously went 50 Premier League games without being beaten in a dribble from March 2018 to August 2019 (talkSPORT), and while it might be asking an awful lot of him to repeat that incredible feat, his current run shows that class truly is permanent.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Andre ticks a box, Liverpool have a ‘real top player’ with Kevin De Bruyne gift, unfair treatment of Nunez and much more!

The post Virgil van Dijk’s renaissance showcased by remarkable stat from current top-flight campaign appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Arsenal defender Oleksandr Zinchenko has named one Liverpool player as the toughest opponent he’s ever faced in the Premier League.

You probably won’t be surprised to know that it’s Mo Salah who the Ukrainian has cited, with the Reds’ legendary number 11 racking up extraordinary numbers throughout his time at Anfield.

In a video for the EPL’s official YouTube channel, the Gunners ace was asked to name the most difficult player he’s come up against in the division, replying: “I would say Mo Salah. Pace, power, an explosive player. He is so dangerous.”

Zinchenko has faced the Egyptian four times in his career, with the Liverpool attacker scoring twice in that quartet of matches, most recently the goal which prompted the comeback from 2-0 down against Arsenal last season to rescue a point for the Reds (Transfermarkt).

Hopefully Salah can have another ‘explosive’ impact when the Ukrainian next visits Anfield on 23 December in what’s shaping up to be a pre-Christmas cracker between two title rivals!

You can view Zinchenko’s comments below (from 0:36), via Premier League on YouTube:

The post (Video) Arsenal ace names ‘explosive’ Liverpool tank as his toughest-ever Premier League opponent appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

ESPN writer Mark Ogden has talked up Liverpool’s chances of mounting a genuine challenge for the Premier League title this season, but warned that they need to make the most of Mo Salah while he’s still at the club.

With 10 matches played, the Reds are just three point off leaders Tottenham, and the Egyptian has risen to the fore as usual by scoring eight times in the top flight already this term (WhoScored).

His remarkably consistent return on the scoreboard shows exactly why the Anfield hierarchy gave no consideration whatsoever to a £150m transfer from Saudi Arabia at the start of September (The Guardian), although interest from the Middle East is expected to crop up again over the coming months.

In a piece for ESPN assessing each club’s Premier League season so far, Ogden wrote that a relatively kind fixture list between now and mid-December could see Liverpool ‘in an even better position than they are now’.

He added: “Liverpool look to have their mojo back and they are well-equipped to mount a serious title challenge. And with Saudi Arabian interest in Salah expected to return next summer, there is a good chance this could be the forward’s final year at Anfield, so Liverpool need to capitalise on the Egypt international’s goal threat as much as possible.”

READ MORE: ‘Elite level manager’ – Journalist lauds Klopp over ‘unheralded’ trait he’s shown at Liverpool

READ MORE: Reporter noticed Trent moment v Forest which shows his status as on-field Liverpool leader

With five of Liverpool’s next six league games against teams currently placed 10th or lower, including two in the relegation zone, there certainly seems to be an ideal opportunity to capitalise ahead of the visits of Manchester United and Arsenal to Anfield just before Christmas.

Should Salah continue to score at the phenomenal rate he’s shown over the past few months – and indeed right throughout his Reds career – there’s every chance that Jurgen Klopp’s side could be in the thick of a title race for the long haul this season.

We’re doing our best not to contemplate life after the Egyptian, but Ogden makes a fair point in saying that LFC need to make the most of the 31-year-old’s mercurial penalty box prowess while he remains a Red.

Liverpool have other forwards who are well able to rack up sizeable scoring tallies of their own, but Salah is such a rare specimen that it’ll be near-impossible for whoever comes in after him to replicate the same numbers in front of goal.

For as long as our number 11 is at Anfield, Klopp’s men always look capable of contending for major prizes.  Let’s hope there’ll be more silverware for the legendary winger while he’s still weaving his magic on Merseyside.

#Ep94 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

The post ESPN reporter talks up Liverpool’s title chances but makes pertinent Mo Salah warning appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Liverpool will aim to make it three successive wins in all competitions and complete an unbeaten October when they welcome Nottingham Forest to Anfield this afternoon.

The Reds are on home soil for the third time in nine days, having recently seen off Everton and Toulouse in L4, and they’ll be seeking to preserve their 100% record at the venue since the start of the season.

A year to the day since we were last beaten at Anfield in a Premier League match, Steve Cooper’s side will be looking to emulate what Leeds did here 12 months ago, but they’ll need to arrest a five-game winless streak in order to do so (albeit that four of those have been draws).

READ MORE: (Video) Dominik Szoboszlai responds to ‘new Steven Gerrard’ billing after superb Liverpool start

READ MORE: Fabrizio Romano shares what 22y/o said about turning down Liverpool’s summer offer

Several of the players who were rested for Thursday night’s Europa League win over Toulouse come back into the starting line-up today, including Alisson Becker in goal, Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate at centre-back, and Kostas Tsimikas at left-back. Trent Alexander-Arnold continues at right-back.

In midfield, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai return to the starting XI, with Ryan Gravenberch keeping his place following his magnificent display in midweek.

Up front, Mo Salah is restored to the line-up as he strives for the goal which’ll take him into double figures in all competitions this season. Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota both keep their places from Thursday night.

Luis Diaz is understandably omitted from the matchday squad amid the horrific news of his parents being kidnapped in Colombia. Meanwhile, there are two goalkeepers on the bench, with Caoimhin Kelleher and Adrian both names among the nine substitutes.

You can catch the full team news below, courtesy of @LFC:

Our side to take on Nottingham Forest this afternoon #LIVNFO

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) October 29, 2023

The post Gravenberch and Nunez start, 7 changes by Klopp – Liverpool team news confirmed v Nott’m Forest appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.