Liverpool are preparing to face Manchester City in a huge Premier League clash after Virgil van Dijk and co gave the perfect response to Wayne Rooney by beating Aston Villa and Real Madrid
07:21, 05 Nov 2025
Arne Slot has got LIverpool back to winning ways
View 5 Images
Arne Slot has got LIverpool back to winning ways
Liverpool were back to their brilliant best as they beat Real Madrid 1-0 at Anfield after an impressive 2-0 win over Aston Villa at the weekend.
England's champions have put their recent poor form behind them with two huge wins for manager Arne Slot, who was under pressure after a run of six defeats in seven games in all competitions, including four consecutive losses in the Premier League. A header from Alexis Mac Allister saw them down the Spanish titans, who only survived a heavier defeat thanks to the heroics of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Former Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold endured a miserable return to his old stomping ground after fans let him know exactly what they thought of his decision to run down his contract and leave for a minimal fee in the summer. With the mood music on Merseyside now very different to a week ago, the win over Villa elevated Liverpool to third in the table.
Success against title contenders Manchester City on Sunday could entirely alter the atmosphere for the Reds. Here's all the latest news from Anfield.
Virgil van Dijk dispute
Virgil van Dijk celebrates during Liverpool's win against Real Madrid
View 5 Images
Virgil van Dijk celebrates during Liverpool's win against Real Madrid(Image: Getty Images)
Having labelled Wayne Rooney's recent critique of Liverpool as "lazy," Virgil van Dijk discovered an unexpected supporter in Manchester United icon Rio Ferdinand.
Rooney implied the Reds' disappointing form resulted from insufficient leadership from skipper Van Dijk. The Dutch centre-back publicly rejected Rooney's comments - a position Ferdinand declared he admired, reports the Mirror.
"I absolutely love that Virgil van Dijk, the captain of Liverpool, is coming out and saying, 'I ain't having what people are saying, I don't agree with that and I don't agree with that'. I think it's brilliant," he expressed on his Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast.
"This is what you want. This is what you need. You need players of character, a bit of personality. Whether you agree with him or not, it's a different conversation, but I like the fact that he's prickly and he reads it and he sees it, he hears it and he goes, 'No, I'm not having that and I want to call it out.'"
Van Dijk had dismissed Rooney's perspective as "ridiculous." Following the victory over Aston Villa, he stated: "I didn't hear him last year. It doesn't hurt me.
"Just to come back to this particular player, obviously a legend, a big player of the game who inspired so many, I can say only positive things, but I feel that comment is just a bit of a lazy criticism.
"It's easy to blame the older players but he knows as well as everyone else that we do it together and try to help each other to get out of this. There are so many platforms nowadays that everyone can say whatever they like and it gets blown up.
"What I have noticed, over the last couple of weeks especially, is that there is a lot of noise... Some of those takes are absolutely ridiculous."
Virgil van Dijk and Wayne Rooney
View 5 Images
Virgil van Dijk and Wayne Rooney(Image: Amazon Prime Video)
The pair then had an awkward meeting during Amazon Prime's post-match coverage after Liverpool's win over Madrid. Rooney conceded: "I am not saying anything any more because I think I spurred them on and put them on a winning streak!
"I think what I've said was fair when you win the Premier League and then go on a run where you lose three or four games in a row, which you don't expect from Liverpool over the last few years. As Virgil is captain I think that is your opportunity to go and lead the players and that is what I was saying. That happens in football and I think the response has been great from Virgil and the team."
Van Dijk told Rooney: "I think if you would watch games, then [you'd see] I would definitely take the responsibility. I think the comment that I signed my new deal and then it's like, you know, that's it and let let it slide. I think that was a bit....
"I want to perform for the team, for the club for each and every one that support us through thick and thin. And when we go through a tough time as a team, when we lose in games, obviously I'm fortunate that didn't happen too many times but it hurts me so much. and I want to turn this around. And because I also see the work we put in each and every day, I see the quality that we have."
Wirtz transfer bombshell
Liverpool manager Arne Slot (left) and Florian Wirtz (right)
View 5 Images
Arne Slot has defended Florian Wirtz's early struggles at Liverpool(Image: PA)
Florian Wirtz would have likely been a Real Madrid player instead of Liverpool's if the Spanish titans had tabled an offer, according to Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro.
Wirtz made a record-breaking £116million switch from Leverkusen to Liverpool in July, becoming the priciest player in English football history. Earlier in the year, Manchester City seemed to be the main rivals for the German maestro's signature, but Pep Guardiola's side deemed the financial package too hefty and refrained from bidding.
Whether Madrid - helmed by Wirtz's former Leverkusen boss, Xabi Alonso - were interested is still a mystery, but Carro reckons that their entry into the race could have tipped the scales.
"He would definitely have gone to Madrid if Xabi had made the offer. But Xabi has less say at Madrid than he does with us," he said. "[Wirtz] is someone who wants to win the Champions League. He saw that we had won the Bundesliga title, but winning the Champions League with Bayer Leverkusen might be more difficult."
As it was, Wirtz put in one of his best performances for the Reds so far as he was deployed on the left side of attack against Madrid and worked tirelessly to help Liverpool triumph at their expense.
Defender should be targeted
Nico Schlotterbeck during a Borussia Dortmund game
View 5 Images
Nico Schlotterbeck has been linked with a number of top sides(Image: Max Ellerbrake/firo sportphoto)
Meanwhile, ex-Liverpool star Dietmar Hamann has suggested a transfer target for his old club. He has recommended Borussia Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck, hailing the German international as an "outstanding" talent who could be the perfect solution to Liverpool's defensive issues.
The Reds' defensive options have been severely depleted following Giovanni Leoni's season-ending injury, with Van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez representing the only senior centre-backs presently at their disposal.
Hamann reckons Schlotterbeck could initially form a partnership with Van Dijk before ultimately taking over as the cornerstone of Liverpool's defence - though Bayern Munich are also said to be keeping tabs on the 25-year-old.
"Bayern Munich are stepping up their interest in Nico Schlotterbeck," Hamann told ESportsBets.com. "He's been out with an injury for four or five months and only been back for four or five weeks. He's a natural leader.
Don't miss a thing with football updates!
Want to be on the ball with all of the latest football news? Well then sign up for the brilliant Daily Star Football email newsletter!
From the latest transfer news to breaking stories, get it all in your email inbox.
How do you sign up?
It only takes a matter of seconds.
Simply click on this link, then provide your email address and that's it, job done. You'll receive an email with all of the top football stories.
You can also sign up for our sport email, Off the Ball, for all the latest darts, boxing, snooker, F1 stories and more, right here
"Liverpool are interested, but you don't know how long Virgil van Dijk is going to be there. The perfect situation would be to bring somebody in who maybe plays with Van Dijk for one or two years and then takes over Van Dijk's role. I think he'd be a great signing for Liverpool and a lot of other teams as well."
Schlotterbeck has postponed penning fresh terms with Dortmund, choosing to hold fire until spring to evaluate the club's prospects of challenging for silverware.
Article continues below
The centre-back has recently recovered from an extended spell on the sidelines and has already clocked up 132 appearances for Dortmund, whilst also collecting 22 caps for Germany.
Liverpool's inability to secure Marc Guehi during the summer has only heightened demands for defensive reinforcements come January - and should Hamann's counsel be followed, Schlotterbeck could well be next on the club's wishlist.