Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has responded to claims that former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso could be named his successor

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has responded to claims that former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso could be named his successor

There is never a dull day when it comes to Chelsea, except perhaps when Mauricio Pochettino's side takes to the field. The Stamford Bridge side is already 11 points behind Liverpool, sitting 14th and with a negative goal difference.

If the questions over whether it was wise to spend so much money again in the summer and continue to make wholesale changes were already mounting, they can only be doing so even more now. Meanwhile, the decisions of both Moisés Caicedo and Roméo Lavia to move to Chelsea over Liverpool are so far not looking that sensible.

The Reds, by contrast, are looking to continue a beginning to the new season that has seen them win six out of seven fixtures. The expectation is that tomorrow that record will be extended to seven from eight as Leicester City comes to town for the Carabao Cup.

READ MORE: Richard Keys makes Liverpool U-turn with Jürgen Klopp claim after bizarre Virgil van Dijk swipe

READ MORE: Jürgen Klopp has created major Liverpool advantage that even Pep Guardiola cannot get close to

Liverpool will make changes ahead of that game and with the trip to Tottenham at the weekend in mind, with both Chelsea and Spurs among the headlines to keep an eye on around the Premier League today.

Here, Liverpool.com takes a scan around the other big sides in the top flight and around Europe to take a look at the news going on at the other clubs.

Chelsea quietly loses coaching staff member

Things have not gone smoothly for Chelsea lately despite a huge outlay in recent transfer windows. After investing more than $1bn in the market, it would be expected that the Stamford Bridge side would be looking a lot more like a European-chasing team at the absolute least.

Now, The Telegraph reports that the club has secretly parted company with Bruno Saltor. The former Brighton defender initially joined Chelsea as part of Graham Potter's backroom staff and then became a first-team coach under Mauricio Pochettino.

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Liverpool.com says: While Liverpool appears to be going under the radar a bit at the moment, Chelsea continues to find itself at the center of plenty of stories. There is never a quiet day in the capital when it comes to the Blues and today is no different.

You have to wonder, as well, just how long Pochettino will get to turn things around. After a 1-0 home defeat against Aston Villa at the weekend left Chelsea on five points from six games, there is a lot of improving to be done. At Chelsea, you can never completely rule anything out.

Paul Merson makes Spurs U-turn before Liverpool clash

Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson has been made to perform a U-turn on Spurs after the North London Derby ended 2-2 over the weekend, with Liverpool playing Tottenham next in the Premier League.

"I'm very bullish, but I think Arsenal will win this game easily," Merson wrote before the match, as part of his Sportskeeda predictions. "Tottenham have started the season well — there's no question about it. However, if they play gung-ho football and look to take the game to Arsenal, the Gunners will destroy them.

"If they stay quiet and look to nick a goal on the counter, they could be in with a chance, but I can't see that happening as that's not how they've played so far under Ange Postecoglou."

However, in the aftermath of the match, Merson was made to change his tune. In his Premier League column for Sky Sports, he wrote: "The first 35 minutes against Arsenal, I thought Spurs were pretty disappointing. I thought it was no different to watching Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho's Spurs. If Gabriel Jesus scores for 2-0 then it's a completely different story. But he misses an absolute sitter.

"What I liked about Tottenham after that is they kept on playing the way they like playing and I was so impressed with them. I thought Arsenal would win easily. But for Spurs to come from 1-0 down and 2-1 down — normally they would lie down and get beat. Credit where credit is due. I thought they were outstanding and I now see them being around the top four."

Liverpool.com says: Spurs have made a good start to the season but Liverpool can really make a statement by beating them on their own turf, just as they did last year. However, one game at a time: Liverpool, unlike Tottenham, are in the Carabao Cup this midweek.

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Liverpool's impressive start to the season has resulted in Richard Keys reassessing his pre-season predictions for the Premier League.

Despite concerns over squad changes and the departure of key players, the Reds have won five out of their six league games and secured a victory over LASK in their Europa League group stage opener. Jürgen Klopp's side continued its winning streak with a 3-1 triumph over West Ham United at Anfield at the weekend, remaining just two points behind Manchester City at the top of the table.

The strong performance has led Klopp to refer to his team as "Liverpool 2.0," highlighting the significant changes in midfield. There was skepticism around Liverpool's ability to cope with the loss of long-term key players like Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, as well as integrating new midfielders into the squad.

READ MORE: Jürgen Klopp has created major Liverpool advantage that even Pep Guardiola cannot get close to

READ MORE: Dominik Szoboszlai earns Mohamed Salah and Steven Gerrard honor after just seven Liverpool games

Keys expressed these doubts in early August, even taking a bizarre dig at new captain Virgil van Dijk. In his blog at the time, the former Sky Sports presenter wrote: "I don't think Liverpool have got a challenge in them either. The rebuild was necessary, but I don't see leaders in the team anymore."

He went on to criticise Van Dijk, adding: "Van Dijk isn’t a leader. He’s too quiet — and selfish. If he plays well that’s all that seems to matter to him. And he didn’t play well often enough last season. I thought he was way off.

"They’ll miss Henderson and [James] Milner. I know the Milner decision was driven by the stats men, but sometimes you’ve got to go with your gut. Klopp knows Milner is a loss. A big loss. But he couldn’t get his way and keep him."

However, Liverpool has swiftly proven its critics wrong. New signings Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister have made impressive starts to their Reds careers, while Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch are gradually being integrated into the team alongside existing midfield options.

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This transformation has convinced Keys to revise his opinion of Liverpool's new-look side. Comparing the Reds to rivals Manchester United, he acknowledged that Klopp's rebuild has been a resounding success.

He wrote (via the Liverpool ECHO): "Liverpool (II) look like the real deal again. Klopp's rebuild has been a resounding success. From a position where last season's table told us they were way behind United, they're now back on their perch — way ahead of them, proving that you don’t always need time — you simply need to know what you’re doing."

The Reds will aim to extend their winning streak to seven games when they face Leicester City in the Carabao Cup before returning to Premier League action against Tottenham Hotspur.

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This article was crafted with the help of AI tools, based on a piece first written by Jake Bayliss for the Liverpool ECHO. You can read the original piece by clicking here. A Liverpool.com news editor reviewed this content before it was published. You can report any errors to matt.addison@reachplc.com.

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Liverpool has already made a good start in the Premier League and last midweek moved top of its Europa League group with a 3-1 win in Austria against LASK despite making 11 changes to Jürgen Klopp's starting side.

As it stands, only Trent Alexander-Arnold and Thiago Alcântara are sidelined with injuries and while that is in part down to injury-prone players like Naby Keïta having been moved on, it is also because Liverpool has enough options now to properly rotate.

Injury crises tend to emerge when things begin to spiral out of control; by keeping players fresh and being able to rotate and make substitutions in games, everyone benefits and no one is overplayed to the point of joining their teammates on the treatment table.

READ MORE: Dominik Szoboszlai earns Mohamed Salah and Steven Gerrard honor after just seven Liverpool games

READ MORE: Liverpool has finally found its new Gini Wijnaldum as Jürgen Klopp training exercises pay off

Against West Ham on Sunday, Klopp was able to send on Ryan Gravenberch, Diogo Jota, Cody Gakpo and Wataru Endō from the sidelines. Harvey Elliott and Ibrahima Konaté were among the unused substitutes.

Against Wolves a week earlier, it was Luis Díaz and Darwin Núñez who were among those turned to, while Núñez and Elliott were the pair that changed the game the most against Newcastle United.

The players that are not starting for Liverpool are no longer a substantial drop-off in quality from those in the starting team. There is not that much difference, for instance, between the forward options — the question there is more about picking the attackers best suited to the game in question — and in midfield, the players brought on can add energy late in matches.

As Liverpool will likely show again in the Carabao Cup clash with Leicester, and indeed already did against LASK in the Europa League, Klopp's second-choice team is now far stronger than in previous years.

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Even in the season before last, in which Liverpool came within a whisker of winning a quadruple, when the Reds took on Leicester — then a Premier League side and in the quarter-finals rather than the third round — Billy Koumetio started, a then-18-year-old Conor Bradley was at full-back, and Tyler Morton was in midfield.

This time, the Liverpool full-back could be Stefan Bajčetić in the hybrid role, and its midfield could contain Gravenberch, Endō and Elliott. The attack is likely to feature Jota and Gakpo rather than Takumi Minamino and an out-of-position Neco Williams. Off the bench back then came Owen Beck and Max Woltman was among the players left in reserve.

That really is a staggering upgrade in the space of less than two years. Klopp now has a proper squad built for a charge on all fronts, with the chances of winning the lot still slim given it has never been done before — but significantly better now than then.

Even Pep Guardiola at Manchester City does not have a squad as strong as Liverpool's. At the weekend, for instance, he brought on Kalvin Phillips, Jack Grealish and Nathan Aké against Nottingham Forest. Two goalkeepers (Stefan Ortega and Scott Carson) fleshed out the rest of the bench alongside Sergio Gómez, Rico Lewis and Oscar Bobb. Guardiola opted against picking a ninth substitute even though he had space to do so.

The lower number of injuries at the moment is no coincidence and neither is the feeling that Liverpool could go a long way in each competition — including the Premier League — in which it is competing. Liverpool is now ready to go full tilt in every tournament it enters, but that does not mean needing to pick key men in every single game.

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The decision to allow Ryan Gravenberch to sign for Liverpool on deadline day continues to split opinion at Bayern Munich

The decision to allow Ryan Gravenberch to sign for Liverpool on deadline day continues to split opinion at Bayern Munich

Patrick Dorgu is attracting interest from a host of clubs across Europe, reportedly including Liverpool

Patrick Dorgu is attracting interest from a host of clubs across Europe, reportedly including Liverpool

The Reds are gearing up for their first domestic cup game of the season as Liverpool prepare to face Leicester in the League Cup – but can they finally win in 90 minutes at Anfield?

Liverpool vs. Leicester City

League Cup (Third Round) | Anfield
September 27, 2023 | 7.45pm (BST)

When they were relegated last season, Liverpool thought they would have a Leicester-free year this season.

Alas, the Reds have drawn the Foxes at the first time of asking in the League Cup. It does present a good opportunity for progression against the Championship side, though.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Liverpool vs. Leicester.

1. “Too soon” for Trent

Trent Alexander-Arnold has missed the last three games with a hamstring injury and the visit of Leicester has come “too soon,” assistant manager Pep Lijnders confirmed.

The right-back, thankfully, was back in parts of training on Monday with his teammates, but Saturday’s trip to Tottenham is the match that is expected to herald his return.

Thiago, meanwhile, is in “a good way” but he has yet to make a full training return as his individual rehabilitation continues following hip surgery at the back-end of last season.

There were no other injuries to report, but Lijnders did confirm that “changes” will be made to the lineup.

2. Straight to penalties, if needed

With no extra time until the semi-final stage, every League Cup match that is level after the final whistle will go directly to a penalty shootout.

The Reds have won their last four penalty shootouts, and that includes one against the Foxes back in 2021 – Jurgen Klopp‘s men won both domestic cups from the spot in 2021/22.

Not sure our nerves should be put to the test this early, though!

3. How many changes?

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You sense Liverpool’s lineup could be a predictable one when we consider how Klopp rotated for the first Europa League clash, with a not too dissimilar XI likely.

From Sunday’s league match, 11 changes would not come as a surprise as Lijnders stated on the eve of the clash that “we need to make changes, it’s a given in a period like this.”

Stefan Bajcetic is in line for another berth at right-back, though this not where his future lies, while Ben Doak is set to get another opportunity, this time alongside Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo.

Predicted Reds XI: Kelleher; Bajcetic, Konate, Quansah, Tsimikas; Endo, Elliott, Gravenberch; Doak, Jota, Gakpo

4. Man City chase the record

Throughout its various iterations, Liverpool have enjoyed the League Cup; the Reds have won the competition nine times – more than anyone else.

Man City are now close behind, though, with five successes in six attempts between 2016 and 2021 taking their overall tally to eight.

This season, Virgil van Dijk will be hoping to lift the trophy for a second time and extend the club record. Should he do it, it would be his first trophy – hopefully, of many – as Liverpool captain.

5. Life in the Championship

Italian manager Enzo Maresca took over from Dean Smith in the summer and has won nine of his first 10 games at Leicester.

The Foxes are expected to come straight back up to the top flight, but the Championship is notoriously unpredictable. They are, though, currently top of the table and Jamie Vardy is still scoring goals – three in nine so far this season.

The last round also saw them travel to Merseyside, beating Tranmere 2-0 after knocking Burton Albion out by the same scoreline in the first round.

Possible Leicester XI: Stolarczyk; Pereira, Faes, Vestergaard, Justin; Casadei, Ndidi, Winks; Akgun, Iheanacho, Mavididi

6. No VAR

There will be no VAR for this one.

Tim Robinson takes charge of a Liverpool game for the first time as referee, having acted as fourth official on two previous occasions for the Reds.

The official was promoted to the PGMOL’s Select Group One in the summer and has refereed two Premier League matches so far this season.

Simon Bennett and Daniel Robathan are the assistant referees, while David Webb takes the fourth official role.

7. Not televised in the UK

The match isn’t on UK television, with Sky Sports’ Wednesday pick being Newcastle vs. Man City.

Thankfully, you can still keep up to date with everything that’s going on with This Is Anfield.

Adam Beattie will be running the matchday live blof and there will be the usual build-up and reaction to events at Anfield.

8. Last time we met Leicester…

Liverpool didn’t enjoy a succesful season last time around, but they still did the double over Leicester.

Most recently, they beat Dean Smith’s Foxes 3-0 at the King Power Stadium in May. It was a game that will mainly be remembered as a demonstration of Scouse power.

Curtis Jones put Liverpool two ahead in the first half before a stunning free-kick, from Trent Alexander-Arnold, sealed the game with 20 minutes left to play.

That match was part of the 18-game unbeaten run Liverpool are currently on.

9. A surprising statistic

Liverpool have not won a League Cup tie in normal time at Anfield in the last seven matches – a crazy statistic given the Reds won the competition in 2022.

That last time was against Leeds in 2016, when Ben Woodburn became the club’s youngest-ever goalscorer.

On the bright side, Liverpool have failed to score in only two of the last 29 home encounters in all competitions against Leicester.

Vardy could be the opposition’s danger man. He has a good record against Liverpool, scoring 10 goals in his 17 appearances against the Reds in all competitions.

10. Follow the match with TIA

Liverpool vs. Leicester is not live on television in the UK, but you can stay up to date This Is Anfield and check in with our worldwide TV guide prior to kick-off.

TIA’s matchday live blog will be up and running from 7pm, with Adam Beattie tasked with keeping you entertained and up-to-date.

The match kicks off at 7.45pm (BST).

Come on you Reds!

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Tuesday saw Jurgen Klopp‘s right-hand man address the media as Liverpool prepare to begin their League Cup journey for 2023/24.

Leicester “too early” for Trent

While Trent Alexander-Arnold has made a full return to training, it appears fans won’t be seeing him in League Cup action on Wednesday night.

The right-back has been sidelined with a hamstring injury since the Reds’ 3-0 win over Aston Villa at the start of the month and he withdrew from the England squad for their recent international fixtures.

Alexander-Arnold missed the wins over Wolves, LASK and West Ham as he worked his way back to fitness, with Pepijn Lijnders admitting in his pre-Leicester press conference that the visit of Leicester will come “too early” for him to make a return.

It appears the trip to Tottenham this weekend is more likely to be the point at which the 24-year-old gets himself back out on the pitch.

He will be forced to watch on for the fourth game in a row on Wednesday evening as he continues his recovery, but it sounds like we won’t have much longer to wait.

Lijnders previews Leicester

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• Ben Doak is likely to start against the Foxes, with the assistant manager revealing that the Reds “need to make changes” on Wednesday

• The wait for Thiago to return to full training goes on, with Lijnders admitting the Reds “miss” the midfielder

Latest Liverpool FC news

• Lijnders is hoping Caoimhin Kelleher will remain at Anfield “for a long time” and has described the reserve goalkeeper as “world-class”

• James Maddison is likely to be fit for the weekend’s visit of the Reds, but four players are set to miss out for Ange Postecoglu’s side

• Xabi Alonso is being lined up by Real Madrid to replace Carlo Ancelotti as manager of the Galacticos next summer

Latest chat from elsewhere

• Chelsea are said to have turned down the chance to sign Declan Rice in the summer to avoid being duped into paying an ‘English premium’, so they went for the bargain Moises Caicedo instead! (Mirror)

• Thomas Frank insists he has no intention of selling Ivan Toney in January amid reported interest from various Premier League clubs (Sky Sports)

• Phil Jones has made a surprise return to Man United – aged 31 – as he works towards earning a PFA qualification, remember when Fergie said he’d be their greatest-ever player? (Daily Mail)

Video of the day and match of the night

Our latest ‘Live at 5’ show included a discussion on Darwin Nunez‘s role within the squad, is he now the manager’s first choice at centre-forward?

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All eyes are on Old Trafford tonight as Man United take on Crystal Palace in the third round of the League Cup.

The game gets underway at 8pm (BST) and will be shown live on Sky Sports Main Event, come on you Eagles!

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Leicester City boss Enzo Maresca has praised Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp ahead of the Carabao Cup clash at Anfield on Wednesday night

Leicester City boss Enzo Maresca has praised Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp ahead of the Carabao Cup clash at Anfield on Wednesday night

Liverpool owner Tom Werner was in attendance for each of the club’s last two games, with Fenway Sports Group showing a “united front.”

The Reds are unbeaten so far this season, and in each of their last three fixtures have come away as 3-1 victors, including against LASK and West Ham.

In the stands for both of those wins was Werner, who serves as Liverpool chairman and is part of the ownership group, FSG, alongside the likes of John W. Henry and Mike Gordon.

Werner watched as Jurgen Klopp‘s side twice fought back from 1-0 down, with goals from Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz, Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota showcasing the wealth of attacking options in the squad.

But it was unclear why the 73-year-old had flown over from Boston for those particular games, with Henry’s last visit at least timed with the end of the transfer window.

The Liverpool Echo‘s David Powell has explained, though, that Werner’s trip was to “connect with senior leadership in person.”

FSG’s aim is to “demonstrate a united front,” which is timely as results are improving under Klopp following a major overhaul throughout the summer.

Sources have indicated that criticism of FSG from supporters of both Liverpool and the Boston Red Sox has “not gone unnoticed,” with there a clear decision to face up to this.

It is closing on a year since the US owners confirmed their intention to sell the club, though this was later scaled back to partial investment.

There has been little movement in that sense, despite repeated reports from journalists on Merseyside that a deal would be struck ‘soon’, but the demand for FSG to sell has also died down somewhat.

The Echo‘s report suggests that Werner’s meetings with senior figures, including Klopp himself, could determine “what direction the club go.”

Two examples of this come in the appointment of a sporting director, with Jorg Schmadtke only holding an interim position, along with plans for the January transfer window.

Powell adds: “Sources claim that the focus remains on a long-term future for FSG at both Liverpool and the Red Sox.”

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This comes following comments from Liverpool chief executive Billy Hogan, on the SportsPro Media Podcast’s ‘Ask a CEO’ series in August, insisting those within the club are “focused on winning trophies.”

“Everything we do is in the best interests of the club,” Hogan explained.

“There is going to be criticism, there is going to be pressure, but that is part of working in an environment that is as public as Liverpool is.

“It comes with the territory, you have to keep your head down, keep going and keep doing the best that you can for the club.

“The team that I work alongside cares very deeply.

“Of course they care about results on the pitch but they also care greatly about the club itself and doing the right thing for the club.”

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Wataru Endo is expected to feature when Liverpool host Leicester in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night

Wataru Endo is expected to feature when Liverpool host Leicester in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night

Mohamed Salah's contract talks with Liverpool, back in 2022, are the subject of a case study at Harvard

Mohamed Salah's contract talks with Liverpool, back in 2022, are the subject of a case study at Harvard

Darwin Nunez is off to a flying start for Liverpool this season and assistant boss Pep Lijnders believes there is more to come

Darwin Nunez is off to a flying start for Liverpool this season and assistant boss Pep Lijnders believes there is more to come