Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has lauded forward Mohamed Salah for an outstanding goal against Manchester City on Sunday night.

The Reds were held to a 2-2 draw by the Citizens at Anfield, but it was the Egypt international who stole the headlines.

MORE: (Photo) Pep Guardiola & James Milner spotted chatting in Anfield tunnel after full-time

Salah already had an assist under his belt, setting up team-mate Sadio Mane early on in the second-half to give Liverpool the lead.

But it’s the No.11’s goal, scored just 17 minutes later, that would have football fans all over the world dropping their jaws.

After receiving a pass from Curtis Jones, Salah set his sights on goal and skipped by numerous Man City players before stroking the ball home.

WATCH SALAH’S STRIKE HERE!

Speaking in his post-match press conference, Klopp lauded the Egyptian superstar – stating that only the world’s finest players are capable of goals like Mo’s.

“Only the best players in the world score goals like this,” he said. “The first touch, the first challenge he wins, and then putting it on the right foot and finishing the situation. Absolutely exceptional.

“This club never forgets anything, people will talk about this goal for a long, long time. In 50, 60 years, when they remember this game. What a really good one.”

And the Liverpool boss is absolutely correct. Supporters will undoubtedly be talking about Salah many years down the line and that goal against City will probably come up.

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Liverpool are reportedly ‘closing in’ on the signing of Polish starlet Kacper Kozlowski.

That’s according to The Mirror, who claim the Reds are among a cluster of European outfits keen on the 17-year-old. AC Milan and RB Leipzig are believed to also be interested in Kozlowski and could rival Liverpool, as per the above report.

MORE: Liverpool v. Manchester City: LFC team news and match prediction

The teenager currently plies his trade for Pogon Szczecin in his native land, but has also represented Poland at senior level.

Over the summer, Kozlowski was utilised at EURO 2020 – becoming the youngest player of any nationality to play at a European Championship, aged 17 years and 246 days, breaking the previous record of Jude Bellingham.

The Poland starlet chiefly operates as a central and attacking midfielder, but has shown versatility – which will be like music to Jurgen Klopp’s ears.

Transfermarkt value Kozlowski at £4.5 million, but it’s rare their estimates end up being accurate reflections of actual transfer fees.

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Liverpool are up against Manchester City this weekend in what should be the most eye-catching game of the Premier League season thus far.

The Reds are the only undefeated team remaining in the country’s top flight and will reclaim first place with a win over their contemporary rivals.

MORE: (Videos) COVID-19: Jurgen Klopp reveals “99%” of the Liverpool squad are vaccinated

Jurgen Klopp is without a couple of key players for the clash, but will still be able to field a fierce Liverpool side at Anfield.

With Trent Alexander-Arnold and Thiago Alcantara already ruled out of the fixture, James Milner and Curtis Jones are likely to keep their places this weekend.

Here’s EOTK’s predicted XI: Alisson, van Dijk, Gomez, Milner, Robertson, Fabinho, Henderson, Jones, Salah, Mane, Firmino.

Diogo Jota is perhaps the most notable absentee, but a more physical presence may be needed against Man City – and, of course, the Portuguese can always come off the bench to switch things up.

Joel Matip absolutely deserves to keep his place in the starting XI, but his injury record is worrying and Klopp may opt to give him a rest and start Joe Gomez or Ibou Konate.

It’s always difficult to predict what’ll happen when Liverpool come up against Man City – we’ve had slender score-lines in the past and big ones – but with Anfield full again, it’s hard to foresee anything but a win for the home side.

The Reds have looked brilliant this season, with just a few defensive lapses to speak of, so we’re going to predict it’ll be a nail-biting 3-2 win for us this time.

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Liverpool will be without Trent Alexander-Arnold this weekend against Manchester City in the Premier League.

The Reds will play the role of hosts as Pep Guardiola and co. make the journey down the M62 to Anfield, but Jurgen Klopp has confirmed he’ll be without his star right-back.

MORE: Latest England squad announced with just one Liverpool player included

Speaking ahead of the big clash this weekend, the 54-year-old said there is ‘no news’ on the fitness of both Trent and midfielder Thiago Alcantara.

“No,” Klopp told the club’s official website on Thursday, when asked if he had an update on the Liverpool duo’s fitness.

“No ‘news’ means they are doing well but they won’t have enough time for being back against City, but I expect them both to be back after the international break. We have a good team so we still have solutions and we have to use them.”

James Milner and Curtis Jones have deputised in the absences of Trent, Thiago and Naby Keita in recent weeks, which has been a relative success.

Midfield likely won’t be a problem for Liverpool this weekend, but who Klopp elects to start at right-back could be.

Milner was in action on Tuesday night – which may not automatically rule him out of the clash with Man City – but the drop-off if Neco Williams is utilised could be a little too much, given the opposition.

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Gareth Southgate has announced his latest England squad and it includes just one Liverpool player.

Jordan Henderson is the man with the call-up, but it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that he’s the sole representative for the Reds.

MORE: (Video) Jurgen Klopp attends ground-breaking ceremony as Anfield £60m project gets underway

Trent Alexander-Arnold has been out of action for Liverpool for a short while, missing the Champions League clash with Porto earlier this week.

Joe Gomez, who Southgate had recently hinted at recalling, has played just one Premier League game for the Reds so far this season.

To be fair, the 24-year-old is presumably still getting back to 100% after a horrific injury last term, forcing him to miss most of 2020/21. We’re sure both Trent and Gomez will be back in the mix soon.

Former Liverpool player Conor Coady has been named in the latest England squad, alongside Raheem Sterling.

You can find the full details of the Three Lions’ team news in Sky Sports’ tweet below. 

BREAKING: Gareth Southgate has announced his latest #England squad for the upcoming World Cup Qualifiers against Andorra and Hungary…

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) September 30, 2021

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Liverpool had scouts in attendance as Benfica beat Barcelona 3-0 in the Champions League earlier this week.

As reported by Melissa Reddy, of the Independent, the Reds were one of the many clubs represented at the eye-catching clash.

MORE: Liverpool predicted XI v. Man City: Jurgen Klopp to make two huge calls

One player that certainly snatched attention was Darwin Nunez, who bagged a brace against Barcelona – as mused by the aforementioned journalist.

It’s unclear exactly who Liverpool were keeping an eye on at the Estadio da Luz, but it’s fair to say the travelling outfit wouldn’t have impressed any spectators in attendance.

Darwin Núñez is putting on quite a show for the scouts in attendance… https://t.co/nWWLeDBL7R

— Melissa Reddy (@MelissaReddy_) September 29, 2021

22-year-old Nunez, who has previously been linked with a move to Anfield, is certainly the man who stole the headlines with his brace.

Earlier this year, on an episode of the Ask Ornstein show, The Athletic’s Tom Worville made the claim that Liverpool are keeping tabs on the Benfica forward – as cited by Rousing The Kop.

According to the football analyst, Nunez is seen as a player whose ‘stock is low’ and the Reds’ recruitment department are ‘smart and switched on’ to the fact they could get a decent deal.

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Liverpool are up against contemporary foes Manchester City in the Premier League this weekend, in what should be a blockbuster affair.

Jurgen Klopp has notably been without Trent Alexander-Arnold, Naby Keita and Thiago in recent games, and it’s unclear when the trio are expected to return.

MORE: Liverpool veteran pushing Curtis Jones in training; calls out youngster for three things – report

James Milner and Curtis Jones have deputised in their absences, which has proven to be successful thus far.

But all eyes will be on Liverpool’s training sessions this week, with the hope that – at least – Trent and Keita could be available on Sunday.

That being said, this is how we think Klopp will line-up against City…

In goal will be Alisson, and he’ll have a back four of Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Milner and Andy Robertson – as it seems this weekend will come a little too soon for Trent. Naturally, Neco Williams is also in with a shout.

In midfield, Fabinho and Jordan Henderson are pretty much nailed-on, but Klopp will probably have to decide whether to keep faith in Jones or switch Keita back into the fold.

The attacking trio will probably be Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and Bobby Firmino, with a more physical presence up-front perhaps preferred to Diogo Jota for the City game.

EOTK’s XI: Alisson, van Dijk, Gomez, Milner, Robertson, Fabinho, Henderson, Jones, Salah, Mane, Firmino

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Young Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones is the flavour of the month right now, after an outstanding performance against Porto in the Champions League earlier this week.

The 20-year-old earned the man of the match award in the 5-1 win, registering at least two assists – one for Mo Salah and one for Bobby Firmino – as he clocked in the full 90 minutes at the Estádio do Dragão.

MORE: Fabrizio Romano claims PSG wanted Liverpool star but Leo Messi signing scrapped plans

Jones has been getting plaudits from all over, but there is one man in the Liverpool camp who will make sure the young Scouser remains grounded.

And that’s James Milner. A report in The Times this week states the veteran midfielder will keep the Reds’ No.17 on his toes by calling him out for his left foot, heading and physicality during training sessions in Kirkby.

While certainly a touch old-school, it’s far from a bad thing to have Jones being kept in check by one of the experienced heads in the Liverpool camp.

The 20-year-old backs himself all the way – and so do we – but a little bit of humility is clearly doing the lad some good.

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Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson reportedly attracted the interest of Paris Saint-Germain over the summer.

That’s according to Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who claims the Ligue 1 juggernauts were actively looking for another midfielder to bolster their squad.

MORE: (Video) Liverpool fans need to see van Dijk & Matip’s reaction to conceding to Porto

The reporter stated – on his Here We Go podcast, via GMS – that Henderson was identified as a target when contract talks with Liverpool stalled and a potential move for Paul Pogba proved problematic.

Romano also claims the unplanned ‘opportunity’ to sign Leo Messi played a role, but then of course the Reds captain put pen to paper on a new long-term deal at Anfield.

Honestly, we at Empire of the Kop aren’t convinced PSG’s rumoured interest in Henderson goes all that far.

While there should be no surprise if the Ligue 1 giants were genuinely interested in the Liverpool No.14, given his ability and leadership qualities, they surely would have recognised the mountainous task of trying to sign the club captain.

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Simon Hughes, journalist at The Athletic, believes there are presently no ongoing talks between Liverpool and Mo Salah over a new contract.

Speaking on The Red Agenda podcast, the reporter said that he thinks the Egyptian superstar deserves a new deal.

MORE: Thiago has become a leading player for Liverpool – here’s how

Citing Salah’s frankly ridiculous goal-scoring form and the way he looks after himself, Hughes believes Liverpool’s No.11 is actually getting better with age.

“As I understand, there isn’t any negotiation going on at the moment. I think there should be, I think he’s Liverpool’s best attacking player, I think he could play for a very long time,” the journalist said.

“We’ve spoken about this before in terms of the way he looks after himself, he doesn’t seem to be slowing up in any way – in fact, I think he’s getting better.

“We’re not judging his goals against the amazing first season when he scored what was it 44, 45 goals in a season? I think his all-round play is better, I think he’s a very important player.”

If it’s indeed true that Liverpool aren’t actively in talks with Salah’s representatives over a fresh contract, owners FSG need to pay attention.

The Egypt international is one of the best players and in the world and that isn’t going to change for a number of years, as we’ve seen with the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

With less than 24 months left on his current contract with Liverpool, as per Forbes, Liverpool need to act sharpish if they want to avoid losing their talisman.

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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has paid tribute to club legend Roger Hunt, who sadly passed away earlier this week at the age of 83.

The former Reds striker passed away peacefully after a long illness, as confirmed in a statement on the club’s official website.

With an astonishing 285 goals in 492 appearances between 1958 and 1969, Sir Roger is the second-highest goalscorer in Liverpool’s rich history.

Klopp, speaking shortly after the club legend’s passing, said Hunt is “second to no-one” in terms of importance.

“It’s really sad news and our thoughts and our love go to his family,” the Liverpool manager said, as per the club’s official website.

“Unfortunately, it feels too frequent in this moment we are saying farewell to these giants of our club. Roger Hunt comes second to no-one in his importance in the history of Liverpool FC, that much is clear.

“To be the goalscoring catalyst of the Shankly team to actually achieve promotion and then go on to win those precious league titles and the FA Cup puts him in a bracket of LFC legends who are responsible for making us the club we are today. Not only that, he was also a World Cup winner in 1966, too.

“I am told the Kop christened him ‘Sir Roger’ for all his achievements. A goalscorer who never stopped working to help his teammates; I believe he would have fit in well within our current team. So, it is Sir Roger we will remember, honour and pay tribute to over the coming days.

“You’ll Never Walk Alone.”

As highlighted by Klopp, Hunt remains in a very prestigious bracket when it comes to Liverpool legends.

His many years with the club has elevated his status to beyond that of a typical superstar – without Sir Roger, LFC simply wouldn’t be the club it is today.

Claiming a World Cup title with England in 1966 is another crowning achievement from Hunt’s playing career.

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Erling Haaland continues to be linked with moves to several big European clubs, even after making the switch to Borussia Dortmund last year.

Liverpool are said to be one of the interested parties, with the Echo detailing as much in a report on their website earlier this month.

MORE: (Video) Throwback: Sadio Mane’s hat-trick as Liverpool steamroll Porto in 2018

Manchester United and Chelsea are also said to be keen on Haaland, as per CaughtOffside, but it appears the Norway international already has his eyes on the prize.

Speaking to SPORT1, Hans-Joachim Watzke said the striker could be ‘seduced’ by La Liga giants Real Madrid.

“[Erling] is an independent personality. Anyway, at some point he will play for one of the best clubs in the world, although he is already playing in one of the best clubs in the world,” the Dortmund CEO is quoted as saying, as per AS. “But I know, of course, that Real Madrid seduces him.”

It’s rare a club chief will come out and literally name-drop another outfit, especially when talking about the future of one of their star players.

For Liverpool, it’s a massive blow to any potential moves the Reds would have tried to put on Haaland – but, of course, isn’t confirmation of an eventual move to Real Madrid.

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Liverpool have landed in Portugal ahead of their Champions League clash with FC Porto, but they’re without one of their star-men.

Trent Alexander-Arnold hasn’t made the trip, as revealed by Ian Doyle on social media last night.

MORE: Porto insider verdict & injury update ahead of Champions League clash with Liverpool

James Milner or Neco Williams are likely to deputise in the absence of the Scouser, but Liverpool’s creativity and width will suffer.

Jurgen Klopp stated yesterday that there are no new injury concerns, in his pre-match press conference – but it’s unclear what the situation is with Trent.

The full-back missed a recent Liverpool fixture through illness, but it’s believed he’d recovered from that before now.

Speculation, naturally, doesn’t help anyone – so we won’t discuss it further – but hopefully the club will move to address concerned fans soon.

Porto and Liverpool will kick-off at 8pm (UK time) at the Estádio do Dragão, with the Reds aiming to make it two wins from two in the Champions League and remain at the top of their group.

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Liverpool are up against Portuguese giants FC Porto in the Champions League this week, for what feels like the 15th time in five years.

The historical European outfits share eight titles between them in the continent’s flagship tournament and will meet at the Estádio do Dragão on Tuesday night.

MORE: Liverpool reach agreement for Premier League midfielder; deal could cost £30m – report

To get an inside scoop on the opposition, we spoke to Portuguese football expert Aaron Barton, creator of Próxima Jornada…

FC Porto once again welcome Liverpool to the Estádio do Dragão in the UEFA Champions League. The two clubs have become familiar foes in the competition in recent years, the difference this time around is that the clubs meet in the group stages rather than in the knockout phase. It is only the second time Porto and Liverpool have been paired in the group stages, the first being back in the 2007/08 season.

In terms of form, Sérgio Conceição’s men come into this one flying high – particularly at home. At the Dragão, Porto have won all three games without conceding a goal (2-0 v Belenenses SAD, 3-0 v Arouca and 5-0 v Moreirense). On the road it’s been a different story, winning just two of their five games in all competitions, drawing the other three to maintain their unbeaten start.

Liverpool will of course be a tougher test than the sides Porto have faced domestically thus far, so it is best to look at how Porto fared last time out in the Champions League, a 0-0 draw away to Spanish giants Atlético Madrid on matchday one. A pretty even affair, it was a clash between two managers who like to place great emphasis on defensive structure and organisation, especially when playing in Europe. Come the final whistle, it was Porto who left the game feeling most disappointed after having an 81st-minute Mehdi Taremi goal ruled out by VAR for apparent handball.

In the last two Liga matches, Conceição has opted to bet more on the youth, giving starts to the young maestros Fábio Vieira and Vitinha – both players have embraced their chances, impressing on both occasions. For the Champions League, however, we will likely see a Porto side with a bit more experience in the side – more similar to the XI that started vs Atlético Madrid.

Luís Diaz is the main danger-man to look out for, the Colombian is currently the best player in Portugal. His talent has always been evident, but his performances have now went to another level – especially  over the past six months. He is coming off the back of finishing joint-top-scorer at Copa América and is on course to have his best domestic season yet, with six goals and one assist to his name already. For an idea of what Diaz can do in the Champions League, see his goal against Manchester City last season!

Luis Díaz la semaine dernière face à Manchester City.

La défense cityzen est totalement à la ramasse.

@ChampionsLeague

pic.twitter.com/m9J5Gn6Uwn

— BeFootball (@_BeFootball) October 27, 2020

One area that could be significantly weaker for Porto is central defence. Chancel Mbemba received a red card in Madrid and is suspended, but even worse than that is his defensive partner – the effervescent Pepe is also a major doubt. Conceição spoke to the media today confirming that Pepe did not train at all and that tomorrow is his last chance to be declared fit and part of the squad.

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Liverpool have reportedly reached an ‘agreement’ to sign Brighton and Hove Albion star Yves Bissouma.

That’s according to Spanish outlet Fichajes, as cited by the Echo, who claim the deal could cost around £30 million if completed.

MORE: Jurgen Klopp believes Liverpool star was ‘made for’ his team

The above report states the transfer could be finalised in January, with Liverpool said to be keen on bolstering their midfield options.

Gini Wijnaldum left Anfield over the summer to join Paris Saint-Germain, leaving a sizable gap in Jurgen Klopp’s squad.

Youngster Harvey Elliott was doing a commendable job in the middle of the park for Liverpool, before picking up a long-term injury.

But there could be an argument the Reds require a player a cut above the talented teenager – even if the Reds’ No.67 has an extremely bright future – and Bissouma certainly ticks that box.

The Mali international has become one of the Premier League’s most talented midfielders under Graham Potter at Brighton, and would be an impressive addition to any squad in the country.

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