Coutinho Could Be As Big As Dalglish

Brazilian midfielder Philippe Coutinho has received a whole host of compliments since joining Liverpool in January but former Liverpool player Peter Beardsley has trumped them all, stating he could be on a par with legend Kenny Dalglish.

In his short time at Liverpool Coutinho has won the praise of the fans and the critics with quick feet, great ball control and the ability to create chances.

Beardsley, who played in the Liverpool team of the late 1980s that won the First Division title in 87/88 and 89/90, has said the Brazilian is a better player than he ever was and could even be as big as Dalglish if he fulfills his potential.

“I love Coutinho. He is outstanding and has unbelievable ability,” Beardsley told the Liverpool Echo.

“He’s better than I ever was and I really mean that. He’s miles better than me.

“If he stays here for a long time he’s got a chance of being as big as Kenny – that kind of stature.

“I look at his ability and I think he could be the new Kenny Dalglish. He is a very special player.”

Beardsley now works as football development manager at Newcastle and remembers watching the 21-year-old at St James’ Park last season.

“I watched him closely that day and he ran the game against us.

“It was a smart signing by Brendan [Rodgers]. I don’t think anyone saw it coming and he was a real bargain.”

Speaking of Liverpool striker Luis Suarez, Beardsley believes Suarez will be forgiven by the fans and will come back after his ban as if he was a new signing.

“With the likes of Kenny and Kevin Keegan some special players have worn that No 7 shirt and I hope Suarez is wearing it this season,” he added.

“The healing process is underway and I think the fans will forgive him. He’s going to be like a new signing when he has served his ban.”

Agger Looks To Gerrard For Guidance

Daniel Agger has hailed the influence of Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard and says he will follow the midfielder's example after being made vice-captain.

The centre-back, who has been linked with a move to Barcelona in recent weeks, succeeded the recently retired Jamie Carragher for the new season, while goalkeeper Pepe Reina joined Napoli on loan.

And Agger is aware of the responsibilities that come with the armband, and sees Gerrard as the perfect inspiration to follow.

"I always have responsibility, no matter if you're vice-captain or not," Agger told the club's official website. "You have to always be there, always be at the front and, of course, try to help some of the young players.

"Now I have been here for almost eight years and Stevie has been the captain all the way. He is an amazing captain: he is the one I will look at.

"Not only in his football skills, because that speaks for itself, but the person he is and the way he treats people - he's just the best.

"It's the same in every single football team, in every single job - when somebody goes, somebody new has to take over. It has been like that forever. So there's nothing new there. Over the years, the players have changed a lot.

Agger, though, is confident he can shine when the opportunity arises, having captained Denmark of late - an achievement he describes as the pinnacle of a player's career.

He continued: "When I play for Denmark and I'm the captain for Denmark, I've learned a lot in the last 10 years of my career.

"I'm trying to take the best part of all the good things, also from Stevie, and put it together in the way I want to do it. I think that's the best way to describe that.

"It's the biggest thing you can achieve at international level, being captain of your country. Every time I put that armband on, it makes me proud.

"You learn something all the time and when you put that armband on, something happens to you. It's difficult to describe but it's a good thing."

Rodgers Disappointed To Miss Out On Willian

Brendan Rodgers has warned Liverpool they must get over the disappointment of being beaten to the punch by Tottenham to the signing of Willian from Anzhi Makhachkala.

Liverpool looked on course to make the Brazilian their marquee summer signing before Spurs swooped to agree a deal believed to be worth around £30 million with Anzhi.

Willian is believed to have completed his medical and will be announced as a Spurs player soon, but Rodgers says Liverpool cannot afford to dwell on the near miss as they try to improve their squad ahead of a push for a top-four finish.

“This is Liverpool football club and we're trying to get the best players we possibly can and if we can't get them in, then we have to move on," he said.

“If you're going to climb the league, then you have to get the best players you possibly can to help you and that are our aim.

“Of course, if you don't get the player you want, then there's always that initial disappointment, but you can't dwell on it.”

Rodgers went on to reveal that signing a new centre-back is his priority, and added that with 11 days to go until the close of the transfer window he still hopes to seal the arrival of a few new faces.

“There's still a chunk of the window left and we got a lot of our business done early on, which was good. If we can finish off in these remaining days and get players in that can help us, it would end a very good window for us.”

Liverpool has endured a frustrating summer in the transfer market despite the arrival of five new players, the latest of which being Aly Cissokho on loan from Valencia.

They originally targeted Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Shakhtar Donetsk but he opted to join Borussia Dortmund, while a bid for Diego Costa eventually resulted in the striker signing a new deal with Atletico Madrid.

Mamadou Sakho Tells PSG He Wants Anfield Transfer

Liverpool is hopeful of pulling off the signing of defender Mamadou Sakho after he told PSG he is desperate to move to Anfield this summer.

Brendan Rodgers is keen to add another centre back to his squad before the transfer window shuts on September 2, and Sakho is a key target.

The Reds have already approached PSG to discuss a deal, but their opening offer of £8million was rejected, with the French club speaking to other clubs about the player.

However, Sakho has made it clear to PSG this week that Liverpool is the only club he is interested in joining, and had ordered them to let him move to Merseyside.

Liverpool has so far failed to return with a new offer for the 23-year-old, but his agent has briefed Rodgers that a bid of around £12million would be enough to do business.

Sakho currently scoops around £60,000-a-week at PSG, which is topped up further with large performance related bonuses.

It’s a giant salary that Liverpool would be uncomfortable with paying, but Sakho is believed to be so keen to make the move, he would consider lowering it.

Arsenal, Tottenham and AC Milan have previously been linked with the defender, who is targeting regular playing time ahead of the World Cup next year.

Newcastle Rival Liverpool For Ayew

Newcastle has joined Premier League rivals Liverpool in the race to sign Marseille winger Andre Ayew, reports the Daily Express.

The Ghanaian has been linked with a move away from the south of France with Liverpool, Napoli and Inter Milan all reportedly interested in his signature.

He had previously stated his desire to join Brendan Rodgers at Anfield, saying to reporters: "I have a little preference for the Reds. I've always followed them ever since I was little, Liverpool, and Real Madrid."

Now reports in France have suggested that the Magpies will steal a march in the race for the 23-year-old after failing to sign Andre-Pierre Gignac.

Ayew has a buy-out-clause of £15.5m written in to his contract but it is believed his club no longer deems that as his value and is willing to accept less.

French publication Le10Sport reports that Newcastle believes £8.5m will be enough to tempt Marseille to sell the controversial star, who infamously retired from international football before reversing his decision months later.

Ayew and his brother Jordan decided to retire from their services to Ghana after independently falling out with the management.

They later reversed their decision after having peace talks with President John Mahama.

Marseille boss Elie Baup had ruled out an exit for Ayew earlier in the summer by saying: "Let me be clear: I am counting on all the players who are here."

However, after falling out with the player over his best position, it is believed Baup is ready to cut his loses and let Ayew go.

Arsenal Ready To Battle Liverpool For Diego Capel

Arsenal has fixed their sights on £6m rated Diego Capel with the clock ticking until the transfer window closes.

The 25-year-old winger has been on Liverpool's radar this summer and saw a £3m bid for him snubbed by Sporting Lisbon.

The Portuguese outfit would only consider selling should a suitor meet their £6m valuation.

Reports in Portugal ascertain that Capel is ready to leave Sporting and would relish playing at a higher level.

According to O Jogo, Arsenal is considering a move for him as it is believed he will complement their style of play.

They have it that Arsenal could make a formal enquiry for his services within the coming days.

Marseille have also been tracking Capel, and have made him a back-up option should they be unsuccessful in clawing away Arsenal and Newcastle target Florian Thuavin from Lille.

Capel has earned two caps for Spain at senior level.

He is currently contracted with Sporting until 2016.

Reds Yet To Receive Skrtel Bid

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers claims the club has not received any approach for defender Martin Skrtel.

It has been reported that Napoli, now managed by Skrtel's former Reds boss Rafael Benitez, have had a £10million offer for the Slovakia international turned down by the Anfield club.

Rodgers says that was news to him and he would have been informed had a bid been made.

When asked if there had been an approach, Rodgers said: "No, not at all.

"I haven't been told anything about that whatsoever. It was mentioned this morning but it is the first I have heard of it.

"Ian Ayre, our managing director, does a terrific job and he always informs me straight away of anything. I haven't heard anything."

Skrtel, 28, appeared to fall out of favour last season and faces increased competition for his place this term following the summer signing of Kolo Toure.

But with fringe player Sebastian Coates suffering a serious knee injury playing for Uruguay last week, Rodgers says he may even need to strengthen in central defence.

Rodgers said: "I think it is something we are looking at certainly, a player to come in and cover that position.

One move Liverpool have made in the transfer market this week is to sign Valencia's French left-back Aly Cissokho on a season-long loan.

The 25-year-old, who has one France cap and has previously played for Lyon and Porto, brings strength to a position in which Rodgers only had Jose Enrique to call upon.

Rodgers said: "I think he provides competition for Enrique. He is a player with experience.

"A few years back he went for 15million Euros. He is a player with qualities.

"The idea was to build a squad and to make it competitive. It was important to bring in someone so that if anything happens to Jose he can come straight into the team, and to fight for the position.

"Hopefully that will get the best out of both of them."

Liverpool Chasing New Centre-Back

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has revealed he is looking to sign a centre-back as Sebastian Coates has been ruled out for the majority of the season.

The 22-year-old damaged the anterior cruciate knee ligament in his right knee while on international duty with Uruguay and is now set to undergo surgery.

Rodgers has also confirmed he is willing to allow defender Andre Wisdom to move out on loan.

"We feel for big Seba because he's obviously played the latter part of the game," Rodgers told reporters.

"He's picked up a similar injury to what Martin Skrtel had last year, so it's probably going to rule him out for most of the season, which is disappointing for him because he's never given me a minute's problem since he's been here and this was probably the year where he needed to go out and play so unfortunately that put an end to that.

"It's something that we're looking at, a player to come in in that position. I really need to get young Andre Wisdom out on loan.

"It's one to strengthen the squad but it's also to allow some of our younger players to develop, for us to maximize Wisdom and his talent we need to get him some games and to get him out on loan, but I can only do that if somebody with a bit more experience can come in and support the ground. So it's two-fold really, but it's certainly a position that we're looking at."

Coates Set For Lengthy Lay-Off

Liverpool defender Sebastian Coates is set for a lengthy lay-off after suffering a serious knee injury on international duty.

The 22-year-old sustained an anterior cruciate knee ligament problem during Uruguay's 4-2 victory over Japan in Saitama, having featured in the final 10 minutes after replacing Diego Godin in central defence.

And the Uruguayan FA has now confirmed that Coates will undergo surgery on Friday prior to an extended recovery period.

A statement read: "After finishing Uruguay's friendly match against Japan on Wednesday, an injury to Sebastian Coates' right knee was discovered for which he received an anti-inflammatory treatment.

"After communication between the Uruguayan doctors and those at Liverpool, it was decided that further examination was required in England prior to his return to Montevideo.

"The studies showed an injury anterior cruciate ligament and so it was decided that surgical treatment was necessary. It will be done on Friday in the city of San Pablo.

"The player will subsequently undergo a rehabilitation strategy that will, in part, take place in Montevideo."

Coates made just 12 appearances for Liverpool last season after finding himself out of favour with manager Brendan Rodgers.

A close-season departure from Anfield had been mooted as a result, though his chances of sealing a switch now appear to be gone with a lengthy spell on the sidelines inevitable.

Liverpool Forced To Pay £6million For Capel

Sporting Lisbon is refusing to lower their price tag of £6million for winger Diego Capel with Liverpool reportedly interested in signing him.

Portuguese reports suggest that Capel is ready to leave Sporting and that the club has come to terms with his exit, although they are looking to maximize their funds.

Capel has asked to leave for a bigger club, according to O Jogo, and Liverpool would fit under that bill.

The Express report that Liverpool had a £3million bid rejected earlier this summer and will have to be prepared to cough up double that amount if they are to sign the 25-year-old before the transfer window shuts.

Marseille look set to challenge Liverpool for the winger’s signature if they are unable to beat Newcastle and Arsenal to Florian Thauvin, the article suggests.

However, having offloaded Stewart Downing to West Ham, Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers may return with a second bid as he continues to build his own squad during his second summer transfer window at Anfield.

Papadopoulos Move To Liverpool Imminent

Kyriakos Papadopoulos is on the verge of completing a move to Liverpool after his current club Schalke has given up on trying to hold onto him, it has been reported.

The Daily Star has reported that Schalke had previously been reluctant to part with the defender but now have decided to thrash out a deal for the player.

The article also reveals that sources close to Papadopoulos have claimed that the defender wants to make the switch from the Bundesliga to the Premier League.

Brendan Rodgers had been unwilling to match the £13 million price tag set by Schalke, but the German club now seem ready to compromise, the report reveals.

The article reports that Schalke sporting director Horst Heldt claimed that his club was willing to speak to Liverpool once a bid had been made for the defender.

Heldt was speaking to German newspaper Bild and revealed that Liverpool were yet to make a bid.

He said, “Specifically, there is nothing that has arrived, as far as I know.”

He added, “We’re going to speak to each other when it takes concrete from. There is currently nothing concrete.”

Therefore, it seems that any deal for Papadopoulos will revolve around how large a bid Liverpool submits for the player.

Liverpool Close In On Deal For Will Hughes

Liverpool is poised to win the race for highly rated Derby midfielder Will Hughes, with the club set to lodge a £6million bid this week.

Hughes is considered one of the best prospects in England, and Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is keen to bring him to Anfield this summer.

Arsenal, Chelsea and even Manchester United have all been linked with the 18-year-old, who has already racked up nearly 50 first-team appearances.

But it is Liverpool who leads the race, with Rodgers ready to bid after sending chief scout Dave Fallows to check on Hughes during the England Under-21s’ win over Scotland last week.

The elegant midfielder impressed in that match, and the talk on Merseyside is that a £6million bid will go in within days.

Derby has always maintained that they want to keep the player, but manager Nigel Clough confessed over the weekend that he might go if the price is right.

‘There is interest but at the moment nothing is happening with Will,’ said Clough.

‘But at the end of the transfer window anything can happen.’

Hughes still has three years left on his contract at Pride Park after penning an extension last summer.

Liverpool Renew Interest In Tiago Ilori

Brendan Rodgers has renewed his interest in Sporting Lisbon's defender Tiago Ilori.

Rodgers shelved his interest when Sporting rejected Liverpool's £3million bid for Ilori, demanding around double that amount.

Now Ilori's refusal to sign a new deal with the Portuguese club has given Rodgers' fresh hope that a compromise deal can be brokered.

Liverpool were represented at Sporting's 5-1 home win over Arouca yesterday, although Ilori did not feature, and it is understood further discussions have been held between the clubs.

Burak Yilmaz Wanted By Arsenal & Liverpool

Arsenal and Liverpool have entered the race to sign Galatasaray striker Burak Yilmaz after Lazio's refusal to meet the player's £12million valuation, reports the Daily Star.

The 28-year-old Turkish international has been heavily linked with a move away from the Türk Telekom Arena this summer, after an impressive campaign in 2012/13 where he scored 24 goals in 30 Super Lig appearances.

Yilmaz also caught the eye in the Champions League last season, netting eight goals in just nine matches in Europe's elite club competition.

His impressive performances garnered interest from a host of Premier League clubs, however Serie 'A' looked like Yilmaz's most likely destination after Lazio jumped ahead of the queue for his signature.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has been credited with an interest in bringing Yilmaz to the Emirates Stadium, while Brendan Rodgers is also believed to be monitoring the player's situation ahead of a proposed bid to lure him to Anfield.

According to reports in Turkey, Yilmaz will command wages of around £2.1million per year, and is holding out for a long-term five-year contract.

But, with Lazio only prepared to pay £8million for the prolific striker's services, Arsenal and Liverpool will have an opportunity to hijack a move for Yilmaz, if they are prepared to meet Galatasaray's valuation.

Liverpool Set To Miss Out On PSG Star

Liverpool is set to be disappointed in their pursuit of PSG defender Mamadou Sakho, reports the Daily Express.

Brendan Rodgers has been linked with a move for the 23-year-old this summer despite signing Kolo Toure already this summer.

With Daniel Agger continuing to flirt with a move to Barcelona, it is though Rodger's wants Sakho as reassurance were Agger to leave.

However, the Reds now look set to miss out on the powerful Frenchman after reports surfaced that he prefers a move to Serie A giants AC Milan.

Sakho has become increasingly unsettled at Parc de Prince this summer after Brazilian duo Thiago Silva and Alex were Carlo Ancelotti's preferred options.

That situation looks to go unchanged under new manager Laurent Blanc as the manager confirmed that Sakho is free to leave the Parisian club.

He told reporters earlier in the summer: "It is true that Mamadou expressed his desire to find a new club.

"The position of the club is clear. Until September 2, the situation will evolve; there will be time to find a solution that suits both parties."

Liverpool Sign Cissokho On Loan

Liverpool has announced the signing of Valencia defender Aly Cissokho on a season-long loan deal.

The 25-year-old has been training with the Reds after undergoing a medical at the Merseyside outfit this week.

The French left-back is Liverpool's fifth signing of the summer transfer window and joins Brendan Rodgers’ side to add depth to the squad, with Jose Enrique the only recognized left-back.

Cissokho told the club's official website:” I feel extremely proud to be here and I'm proud of all the hard work I've put in so far throughout my career.

"I've always dreamt of one day signing for a really legendary club. I've been lucky enough to play for a few top sides and so to now get the chance to play for a club like Liverpool, it's just fantastic.

"It's really pleasing when a club like Liverpool shows interest in you, and when that interest becomes more serious, you really can't wait for the move to go through.

"Now that the transfer has been completed, I'm really happy.

"I hope to feature in as many games as possible. I know it's going to be quite tough and I need to get to work as soon as possible as pre-season is over and we are into the league program."

Agger Says Tattoos Show His Commitment

Daniel Agger has insisted that he doesn’t want to leave Liverpool this summer and believes his tattoos show how much he loves the club.

It has been reported that Barcelona was keen on Agger after a series of impressive seasons at Anfield along with the Spaniards lack of options at the heart of their defence.

Since the Catalan interest Brendan Rodgers has made the Dane his vice-captain, and Agger says he will never consider leaving the club unless they decide to push him out.

“Barcelona is obviously a big club, but I have never thought about leaving Liverpool, unless they want to sell,” Agger was quoted in the Metro, who arrived at Anfield under Rafa Benitez in 2006.

“Everyone at the club are an integral part of my life, I have a YNWA tattoo.

“Frankly I don't mind if we don't finish in the top four, I love the club.”

Agger has for some years been linked with a move to Barca.

He instantly impressed on his arrival at Liverpool where he eventually replaced Sami Hyypia alongside Jamie Carragher in central defence.

He has since suffered an injury-hit period but is beginning to re-discover his best form, in part due to Brendan Rodgers' preference for possession football.

Gerrard Played Key Part In Resolving Suarez Fued

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard played a key part in resolving the dispute between Luis Suarez and Reds manager Brendan Rodgers, it has been reported.

The Mirror reported that the Liverpool midfielder played a peacekeeping role in the talks between Suarez and Rodgers.

The reports suggests that the rift now seems to have been healed and that Suarez now seems content to stay at Anfield despite the lack of Champions League football at the club.

Throughout the saga Liverpool were adamant that the striker would not be sold and that left Suarez with little option but to apologize to the manager over his conduct, the article reveals.

Liverpool defender Kolo Toure commented on Suarez staying and said, “The club knows that by keeping him we are going to be really strong because he is one of the best strikers in the world.”

He added, “I believe what the club did is right. We all wanted him to stay. You never want one of your best players leaving to go to another team.”

Match Report: Liverpool 1 - 0 Stoke City

Striker Daniel Sturridge got Liverpool's season off to a winning start but it was new goalkeeper Simon Mignolet who was the hero with a late penalty save.

The hosts had dominated throughout but had only the one goal to show for their efforts when Daniel Agger handled former Reds midfielder Charlie Adam's free-kick three minutes from time.

Jonathan Walters fired low to Mignolet's right but the Belgium international reached that and substitute Kenwyne Jones' follow-up to get his Liverpool career off to the best possible start following a £9million move from Sunderland.

Sturridge had only trained for two weeks having been sidelined by an ankle injury sustained at the end of last season on England duty, but if he felt rusty he did not show it.

He had already had the ball in the net once, heading in Steven Gerrard's free-kick only to be denied by an offside flag, before he eventually broke the deadlock in the 37th minute.

With most of the focus over the summer being on the future of Liverpool's other striker Luis Suarez, Sturridge completed his rehabilitation in virtual anonymity.

He is not one for creating headlines but knows where to make an impact when it matters and he ultimately settled the contest, although the game should have been put well beyond Stoke with the number of chances created.

Liverpool need someone other than Suarez, last season's 30-goal striker, to rely on if they are to seriously mount a challenge for the top four and Sturridge looks like he is ready to shoulder that responsibility.

His 12th goal in 17 appearances since joining from Chelsea for £12million in January is an impressive strike rate but he will need to maintain that over the course of a whole season.

First of all, however, he needs to do it over the first six games - the duration of the remainder of Suarez's ban for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic in April.

Despite a summer of turmoil surrounding the Uruguay international there appears to be a sense his protestations about wanting to leave for a Champions League club - which resulted in him being forced to train on his own for a week - may have diminished.

Having been restored to training with his first-team colleagues on Friday, Rodgers said the 26-year-old was "back, smiling and happy" and there was definitely evidence of a broad grin as he walked around the perimeter of the pitch pre-match to a ripple of applause.

For all the problems Suarez has caused the club there is no doubt they will need his mercurial talents.

While they dominated a Stoke side trying to play more football under new manager Mark Hughes they lacked a cutting edge for long periods.

In fact, they could have been in trouble after just eight minutes when Mignolet, on his competitive Anfield debut, flapped at a cross with only the crossbar sparing his blushes by keeping out Robert Huth's volley.

But the tide quickly turned and Sturridge's disallowed goal was followed by Kolo Toure, another new signing, heading Gerrard's corner against the woodwork.

Sturridge blazed the rebound over from close range and then saw a cross-shot hacked clear by Erik Pieters after Philippe Coutinho had threaded through a pass which allowed him to go around Asmir Begovic.

Coutinho's vision to pick out opponents saw him set up Iago Aspas to shoot at the goalkeeper, who then blocked Jose Enrique's shot after a swift interchange between himself and Aspas.

The 21-year-old Brazilian seems certain to be Liverpool's creator-in-chief this season and he was at it again, putting Jordan Henderson through only for Begovic to get out quickly to block.

But just when it seemed Liverpool would go in frustrated, Sturridge cushioned an Aspas pass before drilling a low shot through the legs of Huth to finally beat Begovic.

One goal has never been a comfortable margin for Liverpool in recent seasons and they needed Mignolet to save well from Walters and Lucas Leiva to clear Ryan Shawcross' effort off the line to hold the half-time lead.

Further chances came after the break with Coutinho curling a shot past the far post, Sturridge denied at the near post by Begovic, Aspas heading wide from a corner and Henderson striking the upright.

Late on the excellent Begovic had to be at full stretch to tip over Gerrard's dipping free-kick and scrambled well to keep out Glen Johnson's close-range shot.

Adam almost embarrassed Mignolet with a shot from the halfway line before the goalkeeper came to Liverpool's rescue late on with his spot-kick save.

Rodgers Delighted With Opening Day Win

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has said he is delighted with his team’s performance after beating Stoke 1-0 in the first game of the new Premier League season.

With the added pressure of being the first team to host a Premier League match in the 2013/14 season, as well as the first televised Premier League game on BT Sport, the Reds brushed aside Stoke thanks to a first half winner from Daniel Sturridge.

It was new signing Simon Mignolet who saved the day, though, keeping out a Jonathan Walters penalty and Kenwyne Jones rebound.

Sturridge actually managed to find the net twice, having an early goal chalked off for offside, with both sides striking the bar in the opening half hour – Robert Huth for Stoke and Kolo Toure on debut at the other end.

Speaking after the match, Rodgers was pleased that the team’s hard work during pre-season paid off with an opening day win.

"Top of the league, here we go,” said Rodgers.

“Delighted, delighted for the players, the work they put in over the course of the pre-season and the focus and concentration and everything that was thrown at them and at the club, to come out and play like that, create as many chances and to get the win was delighted.”

Rodgers praised goalkeeper Mignolet for a match-winning performance.

“He made three terrific saves in the game.

“He had done his homework, he knows where all the penalty takes were going and he made a good first save and then, obviously, second action to get up and make the double save was impressive.”

Liverpool now travel to Aston Villa next weekend hoping to start the season off in impressive style with back-to-back wins.