Etihad excellence leaves title in touching distance
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babbel.com slash Spotify podcast spelled B-A-B-B-E-L dot com slash Spotify podcast rules and restrictions may apply The Athletic FC Podcast Network Alright Reds Tony Evans here walk on your Liverpool podcast from The Athletic

How did your weekend go? Mine was okay. Yeah, I enjoyed it. We've won the league, haven't we? We've won the league. Tell me, James, we've won the league. I mean, it was James Pearce and Simon Hughes, but James, we've won the league. There's still a little bit of work to be done. No, no, no, no, no. I'm not having that. Si, tell him he's wrong. Don't we get the trophy on Wednesday? Don't we get the trophy before the Newcastle game? Well, I was going to tie my three words into this theme. Mine's on this theme as well. I wonder if we've got the same three.

Oh, right. Well, I actually came up with two this week, but one of them is a little bit vague. Two words or two lots of three words? Two lots of three words. All right.

Yes. Okay, then, Sight leads us away with the three words. Okay, so I was going to go something down a musical theme. I know you're a big fan of Oasis, Tony. And I was going to say, what's the story? But it's a little bit naff, that, isn't it? Well, you know, what I would say is we saw Manchester plodders at the Etihad and you're referencing another group of Manchester plodders. Let's have three words from you, James. I'm going with...

Champagne on Ice. Champagne on Ice. Well, can I have my real one? Can I give you my real one? Go ahead, have your real one. Mine was going to be Hand It Over. Hand It Over. I like it. I like it. Well, let's see what you're saying. Peter Utting says, number 20 in sight. Duncan Robertson, blip. What blip? Simon Maruth, yep, as Salazar, a Carlsberg weekend. And Joe Simon, Mo Salah masterclass.

To join our community of listeners on Facebook, just search Walk On Podcast and join the group.

Well, alright, James, in all seriousness, yeah, you know I'm getting overexcited when I say we've won the league and all that. You're right, there is work to be done. But 11 points clear at the top. You know, there was a party in the away end at full time. Have they booked the open top bus yet? Yeah.

Do you know what? It did feel like such a momentous weekend in the context of the season, didn't it? And I think it would have to take the kind of implosion that I can't even think what the equivalent would have to be for Liverpool to be denied from this point on. Because it's not only how good this Liverpool team are, you've also got to throw into the equation who's trying to catch them. And

As we said last week, Tony, you like to refer to the bedwetters and there's been a few of those with a few stumblings that Liverpool have had at Goodison and at Villa Park.

the last couple of weeks, but it was always just calm it down. Like we're not being pursued by peak relentless Man City. It's a flawed Arsenal team. And those flaws were very much evident in their home defeat to West Ham. And then of course, you know, I think in a way that kind of, that eased the pressure, didn't it go into the Etihad and then Liverpool made the absolutely count. Liverpool have played a lot better this season in terms of, you know, swashbuckling attacking football.

I'm struggling to think of a game I've enjoyed more because of what City have done to Liverpool so many times in the modern era. To see Liverpool go to the Etihad and win with something to spare. I just thought they just controlled such big, big parts of that game. And for all the possession City had, they barely laid a glove on Liverpool. Yes, we were talking...

last week or a couple of weeks ago about the games against City and you know you were saying you know one in particular was it the 2014 game was the best no it was later than that it was later than that it was 2018-19 2018 yeah saying it was you know the best game of football you've seen in many ways and so much of this rivalry between

has been built on games that are just, you know, huge pace. You know, you're almost like tennis games going from side to side, the balls going up and down the pitch. This was like walking football by comparison, wasn't it? And all the better for it. And you know what? It wasn't very entertaining to the general populace. Which is right up your street, isn't it? It wasn't one for the neutrals. And you know what I say to the neutrals? I can't say it on a family show. LAUGHTER

Yeah, well, there was a moment in the first half, just to demonstrate the sort of the pace at which the game is being played, where Manchester City threatened to break and then they just stopped and passed the ball backwards. I don't know if you remember it. It was a very sort of very insignificant moment in the game, but it just sort of summed up the game itself, I thought. Liverpool plays a big role in that. And I've got to say, I think they got the tactics spot on.

And Arnott, he showed himself to be a little bit of a risk taker with what he actually did because his conservative choice was a risk because he didn't play with a centre forward. And you can imagine if Liverpool had lost that game or dropped points, everybody would have been saying, why didn't you go for it? Why didn't you go for the throws? You know, shitty were there to be taken.

But it was very clear to me what he was trying to do. That seemed to be anyway, to make sure the ball funneled to Kuzinov and then try and expose him there, basically. Let City have the ball and then just crowd the midfield. And I've got to say, I agree with James. Very few performances in my lifetime

away from home against a very capable opponent where, you know, a win is a big win. Have been like this really because Liverpool showed every facet of football that you need in this game. You know, in the past we've seen Liverpool beat United at Old Trafford's

on the counter-attack. You know, we've seen them sort of go away in Europe and defend gallantly and churn out a win. This was more of a very measured performance where they let City have the ball, but when Liverpool had the ball, they were really, really good with it. They made things happen. And it just had both sides of the game, which I enjoyed. Very streetwise, Tony. Liverpool people, Liverpool fans like streetwise football, don't they? It was like, we know exactly what we've got to do here. We'll do it.

And in possession, he was just outstanding as well. So I enjoyed the game from start to finish. I thought they were excellent. I can't think of many...

better Liverpool away performances from being totally honest. Yeah James I think what struck me about it is they knew to do the right thing at the right time when to break when to hold the ball and most of all they let City players who couldn't hurt them have possession. Yeah yeah yeah I thought picking up what Simon said I thought

slot got it absolutely spot on you know there's kind of scratching my head a little bit when the team sheet dropped because you thought is it going to be Curtis out on the left and then you see Diaz going out there when they walk out before kickoff and then suddenly it was becoming apparent that he was effectively playing with kind of Curtis Jones and Zabozlai as as number tens but you know it did it worked an absolute treat and um

Yeah, you're right. It was City having so much of the ball, but Liverpool still in complete control. There's been lots of fuss about how many times Trent Alexander-Arnold got dribbled past by Doku. I just find all that absolutely laughable because at no point in that game did I ever seriously think that Doku was going to hurt Liverpool. If that's some kind of like

little victory that he skipped past the fullback I don't know what was it nine or ten times or whatever then you know that's a victory that they're welcome to because Liverpool won every battle on that pitch that actually mattered and

You know, you look at the Opta stats afterwards and City didn't actually create anything that Opta deemed to be a big chance. You know, I think Allison made that one fingertip save, didn't he, from Marmouch that might well have actually been going wide anyway. Marmouch obviously had the goal that was disallowed when he was two, three yards offside.

And they just kept them at arm's length. And I just thought what perfectly encapsulated for me the difference between the two teams was watching from the press box, the body language and the antics of the two managers, because slot, you know,

was there looking like he was enjoying an absolute carefree afternoon, hands in his pockets, stood on the touchline, looking out at a team where everyone knew exactly what their job was, everyone, where they were fighting and scrapping for each other. Just such an impressive, cohesive unit. And then

what, three, four yards to his left. You had Guardiola jumping up and down, throwing his arms in the air, pacing around. That was the most entertaining thing about the game. And it just spoke volumes because, you know, and you could see Guardiola going, he was going ballistic at Mamoosh in the first half for clearly, you know, his work off the ball wasn't what Guardiola wanted to see. And you could just see that the pleasing thing for me was I think

The fear going into the game was that City are bound to raise it and Liverpool have had a couple of wobbly performances recently. But in actual fact, Sunday laid bare the gulf between these two teams currently. 20 points between them in the Premier League table. And I thought that showed because Liverpool were just so superior. Yeah, sorry. The only minor issue I had...

And this is a minor one. I thought in the last 15, maybe we sat a little bit too deep, invited them in a bit. I mean, better teams than City might have hit us. I never thought I'd say that. Better teams than City might have hit us. I'm going to say it for a third time. Better teams than City might have hit us. But they were rubbish, weren't they? I can see your point, Tony. But, you know, they did see it out. So it was proven to be, I would say, the right decision because...

you know City didn't really create that much even though they did sit back I think it'll give them a bit of confidence that they can do a bit more of that at certain points of the season you know in the last how many games 11 games is it and then obviously the Champions League games so you know the thing that really I'm really pleased about is that when Arnaud Slot became Liverpool manager quite a few people were saying well Slot he's another pep disciple really you know craves the ball and

I don't get me wrong. I mean, Man City at the very best, I love watching them play. But I do think there are different sides to football and I do like teams that can show all different sides to the game. Last few weeks, you know, Liverpool haven't been great at times, but they have shown different sets of qualities. Starting, I suppose, with the response to Everton scoring such a late goal. I mean, I was thinking this, you know, this morning really, it's

City fans want to see a little bit of emotion from the players, you know, getting angry, put a big tackle in that they're losing so comprehensively at home to Liverpool. You know, Liverpool players, after having showed how much it mattered to them, you know, with the response to Decorey's...

incursion in the towards the Bullens road I thought that was a positive sign for me even though obviously it was costly for Curtis Jones but under slot we've seen this is a team that is prepared to cede possession at times possession is not everything in my view that's just my view and I like a team that can grind it out that can sit back and let the other team do what they want and then just wait and wait and wait and take your chance and that's exactly what Liverpool did and

And I just think it's a really important thing for Liverpool because it shows that they can win all sorts of different ways.

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I saw a stat, James. I know you're fond of a stat. Is it XG related? No, no, it's a slot. Only the second Liverpool manager to complete the league double over the reigning English champions in his first season in charge of the club. And you know what my first thought was? Yeah, the other was...

But Paisley overleads in 74-75 and Paisley won nothing. So in the world of stupid stats, that's kingdom. Right, but there was a sense of changing the guards, wasn't there? Yeah, yeah, there was. And again, it's, you know, all season we've been talking about, you know, how many times have we said that Slott's the first Liverpool manager to, you know, he went to Old Trafford, didn't he, and won early on in the season. You know, it's, there's been...

been so many firsts in terms of being so used to over the decades, you know, managers having to kind of slowly put their mark on a team, not have such a remarkable instant impact as Slot has. Especially, I think, you know, speaking to Van Dijk and Andy Robertson as well, listening to him after the game,

You could see what it meant to them because for some of those senior pros, they've been going to the Etihad year after year for seven, eight years, some of them. And there's been some really painful experiences. You think back to both the seasons, wasn't it? Liverpool were edged out by a single point. In the grand scheme of things, if the game at the Etihad had gone slightly differently, Liverpool win the league both times. I think, what was it, 2-0?

January 29 that 2-1 defeat that's obviously memorable for the goal line clearance and then the 2-2 in April 2022 where again you know a win then would have would have just been huge so yeah to to go there I mean even even Van Dijk who I after every single game he's banging the kind of

we're looking no further ahead than the next one. It's all about rest and recovery. Even he let slip that he'd said to the players, just enjoy this because wins like this don't come around too often. To go to the Etihad and to come away and not just ride your luck, not just somehow find a way, but to do it,

in that kind of style. And what was really interesting for me is notwithstanding all that, and you could see how much it meant to them, they still didn't celebrate like a Arsenal. And

I think that's a good point. But then that leads back in it just to the importance of having proper outstanding senior pros that have been there and done it and know to keep a lid on things. Because how often have Arsenal embarrassed themselves with those ridiculous over-the-top celebrations? You know, why would you over-celebrate when there's still 11 games to go and

it's yeah I thought it was actually a lot more low-key than I thought it would do and even I actually enjoyed as well as the buzz light afterwards because obviously he was asked about the booming rendition of we're going to win the league from the away end and

hand it over and all the rest of it and he just said I was too tired I didn't even hear it and it was because they won't they won't you won't find them shouting anything from the rooftops because what's the value in that you only set yourself up for a potential fall but behind closed doors those players that manager and those staff will know that

Not just Sunday, the weekend as a whole with Arsenal slipping up. Absolutely massive. Yeah, and on a wider point, do you think it also could signify a change of style in the Premier League? More controlled football and maybe not this whole sort of debt-defying pace that everyone was trying to do for such a long time? Well, I think managers...

are constantly trying to find a way to counteract the things that are going well in other teams, aren't they? Which means that you end up stylistically going in cycles. I always remember Arsene Wenger saying he would never play five in midfield. This is when Arsenal were at the peak and there were teams, you know, teams were responding to Arsenal's speed and aggression and everything that that team had by packing the midfield to try and stop Pampelic.

Patrick Vieira and Edu or whoever else he had playing in midfield and Wenger said I'll never do that and then a few years later when all the other teams had stopped Arsenal from being quite a good team he responded in kind by following them you know so it's

It's very clear to me, you know, this season that the fullbacks, we've discussed this many times on the podcast, for Liverpool have a very different function now. It seems to me that both fullbacks are asked, by and large, to try and get the ball up the wing quite quickly. That's the sort of the long ball, if you like, that Liverpool play, the out ball, get the ball to Salah, get the ball to Diaz as quickly as possible. Not too much threading into the midfield so much.

And then the team plays from there quite a lot, really, Liverpool. I mean, it's not the football I thought that we were going to get from slot, as I touched on a few moments ago. It's slightly more direct and a bit more pragmatic. It's like, well, we've got good players in this position. Trust them to perform. Maybe I'm doing it as a service, but it doesn't feel overly tactical in certain areas of the pitch. Sometimes you're trusting the individual to get it right. And we've seen that. Well, aren't the best tactics? Get your best players in the best position and get the ball to them.

I'm sure that obviously the tactical plan is more scientific than that and it certainly was yesterday because of the way they used Salah and Diaz as wide forwards with no centre forwards, that's the best way of explaining it and the two attacking midfielders, that was obviously worked upon.

But yeah, Liverpool, very patient. You know, it's a total departure from the football, really, that was served under Klopp, which was brilliant to watch at its very best. But I felt, we touched on it before, I felt Klopp in the last few years wasn't trying to deliver something he was entirely comfortable with. The other thing that I find interesting is, you know, that sort of

Arne Slot was a footballer of reasonable standards. He played in the Dutch Air Divisie. Klopp, Guardiola, all these managers at the moment. There's been such a noise, hasn't there, over a long period of time about the young coaches coming through. But the best managers, it seems, by and large, are still the ones who have had careers of their own and sort of understand the agonies of a football player. And Slot, for me, has just been...

We've sort of mentioned some of the mistakes that he's made in the last few weeks, which is fair. But I think that certainly the Man City game, there's no bigger test. Even if Erling Haaland isn't playing, even if City aren't at the very peak, they've still only lost to good teams since Christmas, by the way. They've still only lost to the very best teams. So Liverpool had to work really hard to win. It wasn't given to them. But I just think they absolutely bossed it from start to finish. And it was...

You know, from a City perspective, it would be dispiriting if you were a fan going to that stage and watching that game. It reminded me a little bit of, I remember when Liverpool lost to Chelsea, I think it was 2010. You know, I remember Steven Gerrard played a back pass and Chelsea were just so much better than Liverpool on every level. And it felt a bit like that. I know what it's like being on the receiving end of that.

We've got to talk about Salah, James. Do you know that Simon's got a book about him called Chasing Salah? That's well worth reading. I wasn't aware of that. Probably should have mentioned that before now. I'm saying nothing. I don't have to say anything about it. No, Tony, just... No, he... You know, you can reel off all the stats, but he's the best player in the world, isn't he?

Yes, yeah, yeah. I think, I know Simon wrote a few days ago, didn't he, about Salah and the Ballon d'Or conversation and those claims just get stronger and stronger with every passing week, don't they, Heath?

He's just on a whole different level to anyone else at the minute. And just in the course of Sunday afternoon, you know, you're now talking about someone who's got 30 goals in all competitions so far this season. It's February. You know, someone who's already 16 Premier League assists he's got. I think 21 assists in total. They have 51 goal involvements. He's now obviously equal with...

Gordon Hodgson on 2-4-1, joint third highest goal scorer in Liverpool's history. Another one that jumped out at me was he's now scored and assisted in 11 different Premier League games this season.

You know, the last player to do that in one of Europe's big five leagues was Lionel Messi for Barcelona, you know, 10 years ago. So just sensational. And I think the other thing with Salah, you know, of course, big focus on the goal. You know, obviously he gets a bit of a helping hand with the deflection off Aki with what was a really clever corner routine that,

that Van Dijk explained afterwards, that Aaron Briggs, the first team development coach, had come up with on the training ground on Saturday. But again, he's so good for the second goal, isn't he? Just the timing of the run to get on to Trent's pass.

And then the way in just, I think it was Guardiola, wasn't he, that he just twists and turns away from, waits and waits for Zabozlai to make the move and then lays on that pass that gave Liverpool that precious breathing space. And then the other thing was Salah that jumped out. I mean, how many times was he backed by his own corner flag, helping out defensively as well? Yeah, it was remarkable, the shift he put in. Yeah, yeah. And I just thought that was, you know, there's been times this season where you kind of,

gaze in wonder is of individual brilliance. You look at the defensive axis of Van Dijk and Canarte and how composing and commanding they are. But the other thing that leapt out yet to me on Sunday was just the work ethic that runs through that team. And Zabozlai, for me, absolutely epitomised that. The sight of him just lying on the turf after the final whistle. He didn't move for about 20 seconds.

because he was absolutely exhausted. It was interesting actually watching Guardiola made a beeline for Zabozlai when he walked on, put out his hand to kind of congratulate him on what he'd witnessed, because we just know from the best of Guardiola's city that that kind of energy and dynamism is what...

is what he would so dearly love to be able to call upon and yeah I thought Salah quite rightly deserves all the plaudits that come his way but I think Zabozlai ran him very very close for that man of the match award Well I was critical of Zabozlai after the Villa game not for his efforts and the way he chased down players and won the ball back but

but for his end product when he was in good positions. But this time he scored, so hats off to him, an all-round performance. But I do want to just go back to Salah, because the two things that always strike me when I'm watching him, aside from his work rate, and going back, again, we've talked on the pod before, about sometimes how Trent's left a hangout to try. When he needs help, you need to double up.

on a player. Well, there was no issue there. Salah got back, but also his strength.

on the second goal. You know, you've got players who are, I don't know, Robocops, who are three times the size of him. And they come on, you know, and they barge into him. What does he do? He holds them off. You know, it's... I just... How can a little fella like that be so strong and have such a marvellous sense of balance? Yeah, well, I noticed on his Instagram page he was doing his recovery work, wasn't he? I think he was in the pool or...

last night when he got back, you know, so it just never stops with him.

I mean, he certainly didn't look tired at the end of the game. No, Strava had any sense to do some sort of deal with him and see what his mileage is because it's just incredible, really. It's just a pleasure to watch him, isn't it, at the moment? I mean, I remember watching Messi live against Liverpool for Barcelona and it was the first time I'd seen Messi play live and I was like, oh my God, this fella is absolutely ridiculous. And I'm not saying Salah is...

is on the same level as Messi because I think Messi is just on a different stratosphere altogether but it is like that at the moment you know if you're watching Liverpool and you're watching Salah you are watching greatness at the moment he's right up there with the best in the club's history for all sorts of different reasons but he's just so reliable I mean one thing that did make me laugh in the game was you know for Salah's first goal Pep always does sort of the opposite of what is expected of him isn't it so

He puts Rico Lewis on Virgil van Dijk. So there's only going to be one winner if that ball goes in the air. There must be some mad professor reason for doing that. But then not only that, Salah's left all alone in the box. Now, I know it's a clever corner.

But Salah, the most lethal striker in the Premier League, if not Europe, is left all alone in the box and he scores. And the nature of both of Liverpool's goals, you know, the way Salah sort of calmly celebrates and then Zoboslai calmly strokes the ball past Ederson, who, by the way, just looks totally finished for me. Salah's performance generally, it was just like watching a matador at times, just lots of balls chasing after him and just swiping them from one side to the next and

It was a pleasure to watch them, both sides of the game, you know, whether it's skill, aggression,

or just hard-mindedness and work rates just had absolutely everything, that performance. Do you think this season Salah's gone, is this better than Suarez in 13-14? Yeah. I got asked this question in the other athletic pod, so I'm reasonably prepared for this. I think it is better, yeah. From my point of view, simply, if we win the league, there's no argument, but it is better. Yeah. It is better.

Yeah, it is. I mean, Suarez was incredible in that season, but I'd still say, you know, Salah, I'd have to go back and check the records of the sort of flurry of goals that Suarez scored and when he scored them, but it just feels like Salah produces, well, he has, you know, produced a goal or an assist regularly.

you know, every game at the moment. It's just that guarantee that he's going to do something. And he doesn't necessarily have to be involved in the game all the time to be effective as well. Two totally different players, aren't they? You know, in terms of them being at the best. But Suarez clearly didn't have the quality of play around him as Salah does. But I do think that if you take Salah out of this team, you know, you mentioned it in the pod last week and I stole that quote, James, about him saying,

I think you said, well, it's obviously 25 goals from Salah. Is it 25 goals from Salah now? 25 Premier League goals, yeah. 25 Premier League. 26 altogether from the other strike, five strike or four or five striking options between them. I mean, I think that alone says, well, if you take Salah out of the equation, who's scoring those goals? Well, there we come to the final point on Salah. He's got everything except a contract beyond you. Let's hope that gets sorted.

Don't forget, we want to hear your thoughts here on Walk On. The best way to do it is to email walkon at theathletic.com. That's exactly what you, Ammon, has done. And he sent us a voice note. Let's hear what you've got to say. Hi, Tony, James and Simon. Long-time listener and fan of the pod and really enjoying the bi-weekly content.

I thought Slott's press conference after the Villa game was pretty telling when he said he only had one winger left, referring to Luis Diaz after Cody Gakpo's recent injury. The fact that he completely forgot about Chiesa seems to speak volumes about how Slott views him, especially since he's barely played in any important games. With that in mind, I was wondering what you thought about Chiesa and why he's so consistently overlooked. In fact...

If I had access to Arnaz Slot in regular press conferences, I might ask him that question myself. Okay, he was poor against Plymouth, but in other cameos, he's bright, he's willing to run at defenders, take a shot, and he's not short of self-belief either, which is exactly what you want from a player coming off the bench. And that's a world away from Darwin at the moment. Anyways, keep up the good work and up the Reds. Well, James, I mean, I think the

Plymouth performance, did Chiesa. But you're a man who's been in...

slot company and ask questions about him so it's your analysis yeah i think there's a few few things to unpick there one would be i think i think when slot was referring to the shortage of wingers with gagpo being missing i think he was referring more to the left hand side because he was talking about the decision to play curtis jones there at villa park so it's been pretty clear that he sees kiesa as predominantly you know a backup

for Salah on the right. You know, that was when they signed him. That was how he was kind of billed that it was...

there was this feeling that, you know, they'd be able to like ease the burden on Salah a little bit, which obviously seems laughable now just saying it, but because it hasn't happened. And as we know, Mo Salah absolutely despises missing a single minute of football. Yeah, I agree with you. It felt like the Plymouth game was really damaging for Chieda, especially off the back of, you know, I was over in PSV for that, that dead rubber at the end of the Champions League, League phase. And, and,

And I thought that was a step forward for Chiesa. I thought, you know, finally, he looks like he's got a little bit of a spring in his step. He looked fitter and stronger, but then so poor at Plymouth. And I know the caveat of nobody covered themselves in glory that day. And it's hard when you're playing in a team, you know, full of...

players that have been drafted in and have never really played together but yeah I just think trust is such a big thing with the manager isn't it I don't think he's been able to earn slots trust and I don't think he mentions Nunes there but I think I don't think he sees him you know Nunes he sees very much as an option through the middle I think he doesn't see Chiesa as a as a real option through the middle so that's not one for him you know it's so I

I remember, I think we said it, didn't we, in the post-Plymouth pod, it was almost like, well, where's Chiesa getting his minutes now? Because, you know, at the moment, you look at it and you think it's hard to see him playing until there's probably a scenario where either there's serious injury issues in that front line or

or Liverpool have got the league wrapped up and he's resting players with one eye on a big Champions League game in midweek. So I don't feel particularly sorry for Chiesa just because I just don't think...

I don't think he's done enough when opportunities have come his way. Although, you know, the caveat has to be it's not easy when you don't have that rhythm of regular football. Si, I think it's a component of Slott's character that we probably haven't delved into enough at the moment. But he does seem pretty ruthless, you know, calling out Nunes for his performance. And there's a little bit of a sense of like...

If you're not doing it, you're dead to me. Well, when you think back to the very first game of the season against Ipswich. Yeah, yeah. And, you know, Gerald Kwanzaa got hauled off, I think, at half-time, didn't he, for Canarte? I mean, the season obviously didn't start that promisingly for Canarte in terms of the indications of what slot was thinking. So, he hauls him off and...

very willing to come out and explain why he wasn't, you know, he didn't reappear for the second half. I remember correctly, was it winning balls in the air? Aerial duels, I think. Duels, yeah. Lack of physicality. Which, I mean, okay, Liverpool won the game convincingly at the time and, you know, had the result been differently, maybe people would have said, oh, well, you know, he shouldn't be doing that. So he did it off the back of a good win. But obviously, Nunes, slightly different situation. They've, um,

Off the back of it, maybe some would interpret that as a disappointing result. I didn't. You know, you sort of run a risk when you're sort of out of play as such for what you're unhappy with. But I quite like it. At least the player, providing the player has privately been told that if the manager feels strongly enough about

It shows you, you know, that he has to be a bit of a fear factor with the manager. I think any football manager, I get the feeling, you know, speaking to people at Liverpool, Slott has a healthy professional distance from everybody. He's not afraid of confrontation. He'll make some of the tough decisions as he has done several times this season.

including the team selection against City he's willing to explain his decisions and try and tell players where he wants more out of them I think as long as the players feel like he's being fair and consistent it can only breed a healthy dressing room culture that definitely definitely well talking of a

Darwin, who we mentioned. Well, he's had some success against Newcastle, who are next up, of course. Did he beat Forest 4-3 on Sunday into the Arsenal favour, didn't he? Because otherwise, otherwise Forest would be second before you know it. But Darwin's scored goals against them. Do you think there's any chance we'll see a glimpse of him against Newcastle? I'd be really surprised if he started. If he's going to shake things up and you'd imagine...

he would do because I think that was very much a system just for the Etihad on Sunday with Jones and Zbozlai in those roles I think it would be Jota that would come back in Slott said that Jota

Jota hadn't completely recovered from the stint he put in at Villa Park in midweek. I also think Gagpo will come back into contention to potentially start the game. So I think Nunes is going to, similar to Chiesa, he's probably going to have to be patient because I did think that was telling the fact that Slot said what he did. Because I think the big thing for me was I would...

I would have understood it more if Slott had said that about Nunes straight after the game when emotions are running high but that was the following morning and he clearly you know I don't I don't think Arna Slott says anything and then just regrets it I think I think he clearly felt that Nunes needed to kick up the backside proverbially because of he was really unhappy with

the attitude that he showed after that gilt-edged chance that he made a mess of at Villa Park. So, yeah, I just, I don't think it was any surprise whatsoever that we didn't see Nunes against City and he may well have to sit tight and prove to slot that he can make the necessary adjustments on the training pitch before he gets another chance to try and put right what went wrong last week. I thought the timing of it was very interesting as well, James, because

obviously we have seen the other side of slot where he can lose his rag as he, as he did after the Everton game. But I always remember interviewing a guy who was one of his first coaches when he was a player. And he, I mean, he described Arne Slot as being, you know, like a priest, basically he, he always counts to 10 before responding, you know, and I think, you know, that was an example of it really. He's clearly wanted to, um,

Maybe he feels that Nunes has, I think, had quite a lot of protection in the past off the previous manager. He's certainly, the fans... He's been cut a lot of slack. He's been cut a lot of slack, hasn't he? Maybe he needs a little bit of something else. So, I mean, who's to say whether it's worked or not? We don't know. We haven't seen him since, have we? But...

It'd be interesting to see how he performs the next game. I mean, you can guarantee he won't be standing still and feeling sorry for himself next time he gets on the pitch.

And, of course, the threat of Newcastle going forwards was clear. Trent's going to have his hands full, isn't he, with Gordon? And, of course, Isaac is an informed striker, James. I think we saw it, St James's, didn't we, back in the start of December, I think it was, wasn't it? They caused Liverpool a lot of problems and they are a strange team, Newcastle. They're capable of sparkling one week and

and then fall into bits the next. But they have put themselves really back in that conversation for Champions League qualification. You know, they obviously had a bit of a hell to skelter game against Forest at the weekend, 4-1 up, ended up clinging on to win 4-3. But yeah, Isak, I mean, he's probably at the minute, you'd say the biggest threat to Salah.

in terms of the golden boot. I think he's six behind Salah currently. So, like, what you mean there's no threat? Well, you'd like to think not, but he's... Yeah, I think we've seen in those games against Liverpool that Isak is...

he is very, very difficult to contain. And I know there's been, you know, inevitably with, I think Liverpool will be in the market for a number nine in the summer, that it's been, you know, already the rumour mill has gone into overdrive about whether Isak could be the man. And I, you know, I,

I think I'd love to see him at Liverpool, but I think there's a few reasons for me to probably doubt whether it's realistic, not least the fact that he's still got a fair amount on that contract. And I think you'd be looking at talk of over 100 million, 120 million. And then you factor in his, I don't think his injury record is particularly great either.

I just wonder whether there may well be better value to be had elsewhere but yeah with Isak and Gordon in the form they're in it'll be another proper test but the beauty of it

is the fact that Liverpool have got such a cushion at the top now. I just think the atmosphere will be so different to what we saw against Wolves a few weeks ago, where that anxiety just spread like wildfire around the ground. Van Dijk, speaking after the game at the Etihad, to us said, I want us to make Anfield horrible for opponents. He said, seven of our last 11 now are at home.

Let's make it a really intimidating place to come. Let's not let anxiety creep in. And it really shouldn't because there isn't the same pressure attached to Wednesday as there may have been if Arsenal had done the business against West Ham and Liverpool had slipped up at the Etihad. Well, I think, Si, they need 23 points out of 33. So, you know, we'll tick down the games. Not to assume Arsenal don't lose any points and they've got to come to Anfields.

But yeah, I mean, it's still an important game because chip away at those points, it gets closer. And of course, lay down a marker for the League Cup final. Yeah, definitely. I mean, it's a strange relationship, Liverpool and Newcastle, isn't it? Because I think outside, people think there's this sort of kinship between the two sets of fans. But I always think I want to beat them. I don't know what it is. It annoys me because I think...

Is it two words? Is it Jason Tindall? Yeah, well, it goes back further, doesn't it? It's like, you know, I always remember like the four threes and stuff. And obviously those victories for Liverpool in the mid-90s advantaged other teams that we'd rather not be winning titles. But I don't know, like I've never really seen...

as this brotherly club, if you like, put it this way. No, no. Even though there seems sometimes a conversation around, oh, quite similar. It's like, no, just very different. I mean, when, you know, sets of fans like Newcastle have done on occasion come to Anfield and sang about poverty, I'm like, well, you're not really thinking the same

as us really about the way things are so for that reason that's one of the reasons why I always just really want to beat them and there's always the game's tense generates quite a lot of excitement as well the sort of football you hate Tony I mean I can't I can't see I can live with this as long as Liverpool win Liverpool win yeah exactly well I can imagine given the way I mean I did see quite a big chunk of the Newcastle game

against Forest and it was chaotic and they'll come and have a go and I think it should be quite an open game really because they've got very good players in certain areas of the pitch and not so good players in other areas of the pitch is my view. And just quickly James, the team more or less similar to City? Yeah I think so yeah it'd be interesting as I said the makeup of the front line

will be intriguing whether he brings back both Jota and Gagpo or just one of them. I think clearly someone's going to have to make way in midfield. He won't find room for the four of them on Wednesday night. It wouldn't surprise me if someone like Zbazlai was given a breather considering the hard graft he put into that win at

at the weekend. So yeah, and then, yeah, I don't think he'll want to change too much else. You know, you could potentially simmer cast for Robertson maybe if you wanted fresh legs, although I thought Robertson did very well against City actually. That's one of his better games this season. Probably important to mention that because people have been quick to snipe and criticise when his standards have slipped this season. So that felt like a really important step forward for

for Robertson and yeah, pleased for him. So yeah, I think pretty, it'll just be obviously the system will change a few personnel tweaks and of course it's the last instalment of what's been

which was always going to be such a pivotal period. It's the fifth game in the space of 15 days for Liverpool. And if they could beat Newcastle, what a position they would be in. And then they can puff their cheeks out a little bit because, of course, with the blank weekend coming up, they will certainly have earned...

a few days off and, you know, wouldn't it be nice to be, uh, for that 11 point cushion to be, to be 14 points come Wednesday night. If, uh,

If Forrest can do Liverpool a favour against Arsenal as well. Yeah. Well, you know, we haven't won the league yet, but we're closing in on it. We're closing in on it. Exciting times ahead, people. So that's it for Walk On, your Liverpool podcast brought to you by The Athletic. Thanks to James and Cy for joining me and you too for listening. We'll be back on Thursday. We'll catch you then. The Athletic FC Podcast Network.