Liverpool can seal progression to the Champions League last 16 when they play on Wednesday, but Barcelona could see their exit confirmed from Europe's top competition.

Jurgen Klopp's Reds make the trip to face Ajax in Group A knowing they are guaranteed a spot in the Europa League at the very least – and simply avoiding defeat would guarantee their place in the Champions League knockout stages.

It is a more dicey affair for Xavi's Barca, however, as they welcome Bayern Munich to Camp Nou in Group C knowing a loss would spell the end of their journey. Even a win will not be enough if Inter defeat Viktoria Plzen.

Tottenham will hope to keep their noses in front in Group D, with Marseille and Sporting CP just a point behind, while Atletico Madrid have work to do in Group B.

Stats Perform previews Wednesday's eight matches by picking through the Opta data.

Ajax v Liverpool

Ajax have made for generous opponents for Liverpool of late, losing their last three against the Reds in the Champions League. Only Juventus (four, 1997-2004) and Real Madrid (seven, 2010-2019) have previously won four in a row against Ajax in the European Cup or Champions League.

Yet Ajax remain the last Dutch side to achieve a home win against Liverpool, albeit that was back in 1966, with the Premier League side unbeaten in seven subsequent trips to the Netherlands.

Liverpool's countrymen have also made hay, as Ajax have won just one of their last eight home European matches against English teams, beating Manchester City in October 2012.

With or without another strong result, this will be an historic occasion for Liverpool and Klopp, who will match Rafael Benitez's 62 Champions League matches in charge of the Reds, who bring up 150 games in the competition.

Barcelona v Bayern Munich

Needing a win, Barca might have hoped to face any team but Bayern, who have a record three Champions League away wins at the Blaugrana. Along with Juventus and Real Madrid, they are one of three teams to have won more matches at Barca than they have lost.

Home and away, Barca have lost nine of their 12 Champions League matches against Bayern, including the past five in a row.

In fact, if Bayern win again, they will match Madrid's record of 10 wins against a single opponent in the competition – Madrid's dominance coming against Bayern.

Although Bayern are already through, they are seeking a fourth home-and-away double against Barca in a Champions League season (also 1998-99, 2012-13 and 2021-22). Dynamo Kyiv (in 1997-98) are the only other team to beat Barca twice in the same campaign even once.

Tottenham Hotspur v Sporting CP

Sporting won 2-0 against Tottenham in Portugal in what was the sides' first meeting, but they have a dismal record in England, with two victories in 15 attempts away to English sides.

Spurs have won six of their seven home European matches against Portuguese opposition, only losing to Benfica in the 2013-14 Europa League.

Both of Tottenham's wins in this campaign have come at home, where Antonio Conte is bidding to become just the second Spurs coach to win each of his first three at home in the Champions League – after Harry Redknapp.

He and Tottenham will know they must keep their focus early and late; Sporting's last three Champions League goals have come in either the first or last minutes of the match, netting twice in second-half stoppage time in the reverse fixture.

Atletico Madrid v Bayer Leverkusen

Atletico have not lost at home to Leverkusen in their prior four such matches, winning two and drawing two, but the Bundesliga team have started to turn the tide, winning two in a row against them in the Champions League.

That strong home record applies whenever Atletico face German opposition, though, as Borussia Dortmund were the last Bundesliga visitors to win there in 1996. Atleti are unbeaten in 11 since.

Diego Simeone needs his team to rediscover their scoring touch, having gone three without a goal in the Champions League.

That is their worst run under Simeone. Only once in the competition have Atletico gone four without netting, back in 2009 under Abel Resino.

Other fixtures:

Club Brugge v Porto

21 – Club Brugge goalkeeper Simon Mignolet has saved all 21 of the shots on target he has faced in the Champions League this season. He has prevented a competition-leading 4.9 goals, according to expected goals on target data.

4 – Four of Porto's last seven Champions League goals have come from the penalty spot.

Inter v Viktoria Plzen

12 – Inter have scored 12 of their last 14 Champions League goals in the second halves of matches. All three against Barca last time out came after the interval – only the third time an away team has netted three second-half goals at Camp Nou in this competition.

28 – Plzen have averaged just 28 per cent of the possession in the Champions League this season, the lowest average by a team in a single season since Opta data collection began in 2003-04.

Napoli v Rangers

4 – Napoli have won all four of their matches in the Champions League this season and could become the first Italian side to win their opening five games in a single campaign since Juventus in 2004-05. 

12 – No goalkeeper has faced more shots on target (29) or conceded more goals (12) than Rangers' Allan McGregor in the Champions League this season. Indeed, he has only kept four clean sheets in 21 appearances in the competition overall.

Eintracht Frankfurt v Marseille

50 – Eintracht Frankfurt's Mario Gotze could make his 50th start in the Champions League in this match. He has been involved in 25 goals in his previous 65 appearances, including 21 in his 49 starts.

3 – Marseille have won their last two games in the Champions League – both against Sporting CP – and will be looking to win three in a row for the first time since October-December 2010, when they won four on the spin under Didier Deschamps.

Jurgen Klopp bemoaned injury problems for hampering Liverpool's consistency as the Reds manager confirmed Thiago Alcantara will miss Wednesday's visit to Ajax.

Liverpool have underwhelmed this season thus far, sitting eighth in the Premier League and 12 points behind leaders Arsenal after falling to a disappointing 1-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest.

However, despite a 4-1 hammering at Napoli on matchday one in the Champions League, the Reds could still progress to the knockout stages with a game to spare if they avoid defeat at Ajax.

Liverpool will head to Amsterdam without Thiago to call upon, though, as injury issues continue to frustrate Klopp.

"Thiago is still out, I don't know if he will be fit for the weekend. [Ibrahima] Konate is here and ready to play minutes, I would say," Klopp said.

"When you want it really clicking you need consistency in the line-up and we haven't had that.

"When you have [lots of injuries], players who should be rested have to play and players come back from injuries too early. That's tricky. That situation isn't sorted overnight.

"We've played really well a couple of times but it's not as if we have been without problems. We win a game then lose two players and another who can't play for more than 20 minutes. Tomorrow we have enough players with us."

Liverpool will welcome back Darwin Nunez for the trip to Ajax, though, as Klopp aims to progress to the Champions League stages with the Reds for a record sixth straight time.

Ajax must win to keep their hopes alive in the competition, but they have lost their last three Champions League matches against Liverpool, only enduring longer such runs against Juventus (four) and Real Madrid (seven).

Klopp's side battled past Alfred Schreuder's team in the reverse fixture, courtesy of a late Joel Matip winner, and the German acknowledged the difficult challenge that awaits at Johan Cruijff Arena.

"We played a good home game against Ajax. That's a bit like our season – we play really good then the opponent scores with their first chance," Klopp added.

"Ajax are a dangerous opponent and that's the team we play for. It would be great [to qualify early] but I can't sit here and tell you how I feel because we haven't done it.

"After our start in the group stage, people didn't think it was likely to happen. But now it can happen, and we have to close the group."

Virgil van Dijk urged Liverpool to remember "how good we are" as the Reds look to bounce back from a disappointing defeat at Nottingham Forest when they travel to Ajax on Wednesday.

Jurgen Klopp's side recorded back-to-back Premier League wins over West Ham and the in-form Manchester City, but fell to a surprise 1-0 defeat at strugglers Forest on Saturday.

The narrow loss, in which Liverpool spurned numerous chances, summarised what has been an underwhelming season thus far for the Reds, who are eighth in the league and 12 points behind leaders Arsenal.

However, Liverpool could still secure Champions League knockout football with a game to spare if they avoid defeat at Ajax, with Van Dijk issuing a reminder to his team-mates over their qualities.

"What the manager said after the game, we only had ourselves to blame, we had the chances to score and another day they will go in," the Netherlands international said. 

"It was a very intense and difficult week, with a fantastic win against City and a difficult one against West Ham. Then an away game, early kick-off against Forest, who were struggling before our game.

"We tried everything but we didn't win; we know our performances, in general, have to be as consistent as they were [in previous seasons], that's what we are trying to do.

"We are trying to sort it and do everything in our power, that's what we have to do, so that's our situation. We shouldn't forget how good we are, keep the confidence and try to be consistent again."

While Alfred Schreuder's side dropped five points in two matches either side of the last international break, they have returned to form in recent weeks to open a four-point lead at the Eredivisie summit.

Van Dijk acknowledged the tough task that awaits Liverpool, who have won their last three Champions League matches against Ajax, as his side prepare to visit Amsterdam.

"They don't have the best moment also, but I know how it can be here on a Champions League night and that is something we are prepared for," the centre-back added.

"We have to match them and do even more – it will be interesting. We're not coming here to defend or draw, we want to win the game, show our qualities and make sure we go through tomorrow.

"They will know how tough it will be, we have to be confident and enjoy the occasion. Everyone wants to be at this level."

Virgil van Dijk has been on the receiving end of Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp's ire "plenty of times".

The Reds defender made the admission when speaking to Gary Neville on The Overlap about Klopp's demeanour in the Anfield dressing room.

Van Dijk and Liverpool have had a difficult start to the season, which included a shock 1-0 loss at Nottingham Forest on Saturday to leave them eighth in the Premier League.

But Van Dijk has been one of Liverpool's top performers since joining from Southampton in January 2018, winning Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and EFL Cup honours under Klopp.

The Netherlands centre-back does not always avoid his manager's dressing downs, though.

"Oh yeah plenty of times," Van Dijk replied when asked if he had been shouted at by Klopp.

"Not in my face because I feel like screaming in someone's face could be a little disrespectful but when it's needed he will definitely do it, but he shouts a lot.

"The thing is and what I like is that someone does that because someone really cares about you or the situation and wants to make sure it improves or get anyone else sharper. 

"So, I really enjoy that in a way and it helps me personally."

Van Dijk recalled Liverpool's poor performance in the season-opener against Fulham, a match that finished 2-2, and how he deliberately ignored Klopp knowing a telling off was coming.

"I was trying to go more direct and he was shouting at me that we had to play a little bit more," Van Dijk added.

"I know he was shouting from the side so I wasn't looking at him or trying to acknowledge him because I knew for a fact that he was going to go after me. It is what it is."

Tottenham forward Son Heung-min is reportedly looking towards his "next career step", with Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti said to have a keen interest.

Son tied with Liverpool's Mohamed Salah for the Premier League's Golden Boot after a career-best 23 goals last season and was the only player with more than 16 goals to not take a penalty.

It was the sixth Premier League season in a row Son has tallied at least 11 goals, and despite the South Korean's slow start to this campaign, he has shown his class in spurts, including a hat-trick off the bench against Leicester City and an important brace in a 3-2 Champions League win against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Tottenham sit in third place, five points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal, but if Son does not believe he can realistically win silverware with the club, the 30-year-old may view a move to a Champions League stalwart as now or never.

TOP STORY – REAL MADRID KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON SPURS' SON

According to Sport1, Ancelotti is monitoring Son's situation closely, however his contract situation gives Tottenham all the leverage as he is tied to the club until 2025.

The report claims there is also interest from world powerhouses Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, and that an impressive performance in the World Cup – where South Korea will play Uruguay, Ghana and Portugal in the group stage – could see a club spurred into action in January.

Bild is reporting Bayern will not have an active January window, which would rule them out for the immediate future as any serious bid for the Tottenham star would need to be substantial.

However, with Tottenham desperate to retain the services of Antonio Conte – who the Times reported as saying he needs three more transfer windows to build the necessary depth at the club – selling one of his top players would be a step in the wrong direction.

ROUND-UP

– Ser Deportivos is reporting Real Madrid have offered an improved contract to Marco Asensio amid speculation that he may head to the Premier League when his contract expires after this season.

– According to O Jogo, Liverpool and Manchester United are both interested in 18-year-old Benfica centre-back Antonio Silva.

– Arsenal are preparing an offer for 27-year-old Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic that is believed to be worth in the range of €50m, with their bid also including Albert Sambi Lokonga in a player exchange, per Calciomercato.

– Sport is reporting Barcelona view 25-year-old Ajax player Edson Alvarez as a potential successor to Sergio Busquets in the centre of midfield, although the Dutch giants supposedly rejected a €50m offer from Chelsea in the previous transfer window.

– According to The Mirror, Manchester United are eyeing Lille's Jonathan David, Lyon's Moussa Dembele or Bayer Leverkusen's Patrick Schick as potential replacements for Cristiano Ronaldo.

Cristiano Ronaldo's future at Manchester United is coming to a head, having stormed out of their midweek win over Tottenham.

Ronaldo was sanctioned by the club and suspended for Saturday's 1-1 draw with Chelsea, but United boss Erik ten Hag has reiterated the Portuguese has a role to play at the club.

However, the 37-year-old has been frustrated by his status this season after trying to force a move away in the close season.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA FLOAT OFFER TO RONALDO FOR JANUARY

Chelsea are set to offer Cristiano Ronaldo a January lifeline with the club reigniting their interest in the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, according to Sunday World.

Ex-manager Thomas Tuchel was not keen to pursue Blues owner Todd Boehly's interest in Ronaldo in the last transfer window but with the German gone Chelsea are ready to move, drawn in by the Portuguese's huge commercial appeal.

The report claims Chelsea have floated a short-term deal until the end of the season to Ronaldo, with the option of a further year. Ronaldo is prepared to accept a pay cut to make the deal happen too.

ROUND-UP

– Napoli's Georgian whizz Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is being tracked by Manchester City, claim The Sun. The winger only joined Napoli in July but has dazzled with seven goals in 14 appearances.

– Calciomercato claims Chelsea defender Trevor Chalobah is being tracked by Inter as a potential replacement for the soon-to-be out of contract Milan Skriniar.

– Barcelona have an interest in young Borussia Dortmund striker Youssouf Moukoko, according to SPORT.

– The Mirror reports Real Madrid are interested in Manchester United's Portuguese right-back Diogo Dalot. Barcelona are also monitoring him.

– The Sun also reports Manchester United have joined Liverpool in pursuing a move for Chicago Fire's Colombian teenage forward Jhon Duran.

Manchester United scrambled a draw at Chelsea without Cristiano Ronaldo as Casemiro's late heroics saved the day for Erik ten Hag.

That was the climax to a four-game Premier League programme on Saturday, and it was one that saw Liverpool slip up at their bogey ground, Manchester City go past 600 Premier League goals in the Pep Guardiola era, and Everton finally find some scoring form at Goodison Park.

City have closed the gap on leaders Arsenal to one point, ahead of the Gunners' trip to Southampton on Sunday.

Here, Stats Perform picks out the best facts from the day's Premier League action.

Chelsea 1-1 Manchester United: Casemiro saves the day for Red Devils

Jorginho's 87th-minute penalty looked set to be the winner, but Casemiro had other ideas, heading home to earn a point for United in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

Only Arsenal (12) and Chelsea (9) have had more different Brazilians score a Premier League goal for them than United, after Casemiro became the eighth on their list. The goal, time at 93:28, was United's latest equaliser in a league game since Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored at the death in April 2017 against Everton (93:41).

Jorginho has now scored 19 of his 22 penalties in the Premier League for Chelsea, with only Frank Lampard having netted more spot-kicks for the Blues in the competition (41).

Setting aside the late drama, the outcome should come as little surprise. No Premier League fixture has been drawn as often as Chelsea against United (26 draws). Seven of the past nine such meetings have finished level now, including each of the past five.

Chelsea are now winless in their past 10 Premier League games against United (D7 L3) – only against Blackburn Rovers (12 games between 1992 and 1998) and Arsenal (19 between 1995 and 2005) have they ever had a longer winless run in the competition.

Raheem Sterling lasted 79 minutes before being replaced. He has now faced United 24 times in all competitions in his professional career, more than any other opponent, but has never scored past them, despite attempting 38 shots across those games (15 on target).

Nottingham Forest 1-0 Liverpool: Klopp rattled by City Ground slip-up

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp picked fault with his team's finishing after this painful defeat, pointing to misses by Roberto Firmino and Virgil van Dijk, but this was just the latest in a line of disappointments in Nottingham for the Anfield giants.

Liverpool have never won in six Premier League away games against Forest (D3 L3), making the City Ground the only stadium where the Reds have played more than once in the competition and never won.

Taking in results from the pre-Premier League era, Liverpool have failed to win on any of their past 13 league trips to Forest (D7 L6).

This was their first visit on league duty since 1999, with a once-fierce rivalry having been on hold during Forest's time outside the top flight. The outcome gave Forest a first home success in the competition over Liverpool since a 1-0 victory in March 1996.

Liverpool have cause for concern: they have failed to win any of their first five away games in a Premier League season for the first time since 2006-07 under Rafael Benitez, and they have three league defeats in 2022-23 already, one more than in the whole of the 2021-22 campaign.

Match-winner Taiwo Awoniyi became the first Forest player to score in each of his first three Premier League starts at the City Ground, lifting Steve Cooper's team off the foot of the table.

Manchester City 3-1 Brighton and Hove Albion: Haaland matches Aguero, De Bruyne goes level with Silva

Erling Haaland has gone off hat-tricks, but doubles will do fine for now. With two goals against Brighton, he became the first City player to score in seven consecutive home games in all competitions since Sergio Aguero in February 2018. The Norwegian has 15 goals in those seven matches. His second goal was City's 600th in the Premier League since Guardiola took charge for the 2016-17 season.

Kevin De Bruyne was no bystander in this victory, putting the seal on the success with a fine second-half strike after Leandro Trossard closed the gap. De Bruyne has been directly involved in 153 Premier League goals for City (59 goals, 94 assists), with Saturday's effort putting him level with David Silva's goal involvements tally for the club (60 goals, 93 assists) and behind only Aguero (231 – 184 goals, 47 assists).

City have won 10 consecutive Premier League games at the Etihad Stadium, including all six this season. This is the fifth time they have begun a Premier League campaign by winning their opening six home matches (also 2007-08, 2011-12, 2013-14 and 2018-19).

While City thrive, Brighton are fading. Roberto De Zerbi has become the fourth manager/head coach to fail to win any of his first five league games with the club, after Barry Lloyd (first 12), Don Welsh (first 8) and George Curtis (first 5).

The Seagulls remain winless away to City in all 13 league visits in their history (D2 L11), losing their last nine.

Everton 3-0 Crystal Palace: Toffees end slide, pass goals milestone

After consecutive losses to Manchester United, Tottenham and Newcastle United, Everton got back on track thanks to goals from Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Anthony Gordon and substitute Dwight McNeil.

Calvert-Lewin's opener was Everton's 1,500th goal in the Premier League, making the Toffees the seventh side to reach that total and the first since Manchester City in January 2021.

It was raining goals by recent Everton standards, with Frank Lampard's team having only managed three goals in total across their five previous Premier League games this season.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp expects Darwin Nunez to face Ajax in midweek after missing Saturday's shock defeat to Nottingham Forest with a hamstring injury.

Uruguay striker Nunez scored the only goal of the game on Wednesday as the Reds beat West Ham, building on a lively – albeit chaotic – cameo against Manchester City last weekend.

But he was withdrawn in the second half with a hamstring strain and that prevented him from featuring at the City Ground, his absence a blow as the Reds lacked presence in attack.

Forest won 1-0 thanks to a goal from former Liverpool youngster Taiwo Awoniyi, and Klopp will be desperate for his side to get the defeat out of their system as quickly as possible.

Liverpool can secure their progression to the last 16 of the Champions League when they face Ajax in Amsterdam on Wednesday and Klopp expects his big-money signing to return.

"Darwin should be back, this game was just too early," Klopp said.

"I think another day recovery would have helped him, but we played today. At least that is my knowledge in the moment.

"Ibou [Ibrahima Konate] will train from [Sunday] on and Naby [Keita] as well, but Naby is far off so he starts training now after a long period."

Liverpool's preparations for Saturday's match were also hampered by Thiago Alcantara falling ill in the 24 hours before kick-off and Klopp is unsure if he will face Ajax.

"Thiago got a bad ear infection last night and there was no chance for him to do anything. We drove him home," Klopp added.

"The decision was [made] in the moment he woke up and had the pain. The doctor went there and they tried everything, went to the hospital and stuff like this. It didn't work out."

That proved to be a spanner in the works for the Reds, with Klopp acknowledging the Spain international's absence left his side lacking creativity in midfield.

But he praised Curtis Jones for filling in, as he played in a deeper, unfamiliar role.

"We were obviously lacking up front a bit runs in behind, we were lacking vision in the centre, that's all true," he continued.

"I thought Curtis did really well but is not used to the position. He can play that definitely, but he was not even in my thoughts to start, so that all happened last night. But he did really well.

"But that we then did not create that much, I am not concerned about that, I'm not surprised – that's things that can happen."

Jurgen Klopp said Liverpool's defeat at Nottingham Forest was inexplicable as he condemned the finishing by his players at the City Ground.

After back-to-back 1-0 wins over Manchester City and West Ham in the Premier League, Liverpool went down by the same scoreline on Saturday, with former Anfield reserve Taiwo Awoniyi getting the only goal.

Klopp pointed the finger of blame at Roberto Firmino and Virgil van Dijk for spurning great chances, as the Merseyside club lost to a team who began the day at the foot of the table.

A third league loss in their opening 11 games was a jolt for a Liverpool team who had been looking to close an early-season gap to the top four.

"The performance I can kind of explain, the result not," Klopp told BT Sport. "I never saw a game where one team has four or five no-brainers from a set-piece, where we have to finish it off.

"The way they defend, we were perfectly prepared for that. We had always a free player: Bobby in the first half, Virgil two or three times – they have to put the game to bed."

Forest's goal also came from a free-kick, with Awoniyi firing in from close range after Liverpool gave away the set-piece near the halfway line, described as "a big mistake" from his players by Klopp.

"Apart from that, all the chances they had we gave them, because we kept playing the wrong passes in the centre," Klopp said.

"Result-wise, we should have showed consistency today. Result-wise, we could have had it by finishing the situations off."

Regarding Forest, Klopp was frugal in his appreciation, saying: "Giving a team six clear-cut chances after a set-piece, I am not sure where I should put the praise on.

"They're a great team and Steve [Cooper] is a fantastic manager, but for us we had to win here. We didn't, so credit to him and Nottingham.

"In the situations, it was us against the goalie or us against ourselves, and not us against Nottingham Forest, because nobody defended Bobby in these moments and nobody defended Virgil in these moments.

"They were just free, but we didn't use it, so if we used all of them you would be asking a different question."

Match-winner Awonyi revelled in giving Forest a second league win of the campaign.

He said: "I think it's a good game for my team. We had a plan to play compact and at the end to find a way to get a goal. At the end we won and I'm very happy about it.

"I'm honoured to get a game against Liverpool because they brought me to football. They signed me when I was 18. It was an emotional game for me. As a team we stick together as our own family, and we have to thank the fans. We just have to keep on going."

Man of the match Ryan Yates, a key figure in Forest's midfield, said: "It's what we needed. We've been putting in good performances in recent weeks and not been getting the results we wanted, but we thoroughly deserved that today.

"It's got to be [a turning point]. We've got to build on this. If we can beat Liverpool, we can beat anyone."

Taiwo Awoniyi's goal handed Nottingham Forest a famous Premier League win over Liverpool at the City Ground, as last season's runners-up saw their dismal away form continue.

Jurgen Klopp's side struggled to carve out openings in an even opening period and fell behind when former Liverpool youngster Awoniyi tapped home his third Premier League goal shortly after half-time.

Virgil van Dijk went closest to equalising for desperate Liverpool, who have failed to win a single away league game this season after once again falling short of last term's lofty standards.

While the result lifted Forest off the foot of the table, it left Liverpool 11 points adrift of leaders Arsenal, dealing another blow to the Reds' increasingly forlorn title hopes.  

Dean Henderson stood firm to deny Fabio Carvalho from a tight angle as Liverpool controlled possession early on, before Roberto Firmino headed narrowly wide from the resulting corner.

Forest grew into the contest as the half progressed, though both Cheikhou Kouyate and Jesse Lingard failed to seriously test Alisson from promising positions.

The Reds' below-par performance continued after the break and they were duly punished by Awoniyi after 55 minutes.

The Nigeria striker initially prodded Steve Cook's right-wing delivery against the right-hand post but was on hand to convert the rebound, sending the City Ground into raptures.

Henderson denied Liverpool a quickfire equaliser when he turned Harvey Elliott's powerful effort away from the top-right corner.

Forest were indebted to Henderson once more when the Manchester United loanee stopped Van Dijk's point-blank header in stoppage time, before Brennan Johnson clipped the post with Alisson up the other end during a frantic finish.

The Frenkie de Jong transfer rumour mill is heating up once again as we get closer to January, with Chelsea and Liverpool reportedly set to join Manchester United in the pursuit of the Barcelona midfielder.

De Jong, 25, was one of the most ubiquitous names in the most recent transfer window, with United and Barcelona in regular communication as Erik ten Hag tried to recruit his former Ajax pupil.

After deciding to remain at Camp Nou, despite the LaLiga club urging him to leave to help ease their finances, De Jong has started six out of 14 matches for the Blaugrana so far this season.

With their Champions League campaign looking headed for an early exit, and more playing time likely on the table in the Premier League, it may seem more palatable for the Dutch international to make the jump in January.

TOP STORY – PREMIER LEAGUE GIANTS PREPARE BIDS FOR BARCELONA'S DE JONG

Barcelona and United agreed on a deal starting at €65million plus add-ons before De Jong decided to veto the move by refusing to sign a contract with the Old Trafford side.

With his contract still tying him to Barcelona until 2026, there is no reason to believe that figure would dip unless the Catalan outfit are desperate to get a deal done.

ESPN's report claims Chelsea have had their interest spurred by the injury status of N'Golo Kante, who will apparently miss around four months after undergoing surgery on his hamstring, while Liverpool have made no secret about their desire for midfield reinforcements, and are said to have contacted De Jong's representatives.

ROUND-UP

– According to Football Italia, Juventus will be willing to sell 24-year-old American midfielder Weston McKennie for €20m in January.   

– The Evening Standard is reporting Arsenal are interested in 23-year-old Eintracht Frankfurt centre-back Evan Ndicka, with the French international set to become a free agent at the end of the season.

– Wilfried Zaha is likely to reject a new contract from Crystal Palace so he can join a top-six Premier League side when his deal expires at the end of the season, per the Daily Mail.

– Football Insider claims 17-year-old Borussia Dortmund forward Youssoufa Moukoko has caught the eye of the world's elite clubs, with interest coming from Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool.

– Le 10 Sport is reporting Inter view Sevilla centre-back Tanguy Nianzou and Valencia's Mouctar Diakhaby as potential replacements for Milan Skriniar, with the Slovakian expected to leave in January.

Pep Guardiola has apologised after Manchester City fans sang chants referencing football stadium tragedies against Liverpool, but he does not feel the rivalry between the clubs has become "toxic".

City suffered their first Premier League defeat of the season at Anfield on Sunday, with Mohamed Salah's second-half goal enough to secure a 1-0 win for the Reds.

However, the game was overshadowed by several off-pitch incidents.

Guardiola alleged home fans threw coins at him; police said they were investigating an apparent attack on City's team bus; and Liverpool criticised the conduct of some away supporters.

The Reds accused City fans of singing "vile chants relating to football stadium tragedies" and vandalising the concourse with graffiti of a similar nature.

Speaking ahead of Saturday's meeting with Brighton and Hove Albion, Guardiola said those responsible did not represent City and insisted the club's recently established rivalry with Liverpool is not out of control.

Asked whether contests between Liverpool and City had become "toxic" on Friday, Guardiola said: "I don't think so, [not] from our side, I'm pretty sure of that.

"I didn't hear the chants. If it happened, I'm so sorry. It does not represent what we are as a team or as a club if this happened.

"We can behave perfectly and [correct] our mistakes, without a problem."

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is adamant Steven Gerrard will return to management but hopes he takes some time away from football after being axed by Aston Villa.

Gerrard was sacked following Villa's defeat to Fulham on Thursday, which left the club above the Premier League's relegation zone on only goals scored, having picked up just two wins in the opening 11 matches of the campaign.

Previously touted by many as Klopp's eventual successor at Anfield, Gerrard must now rebuild his reputation after a disappointing stint with Villa that came following success in Scotland with Rangers.

Klopp does not expect that to be an issue for the former Liverpool captain, although he hopes he does not rush back into a role.

"I'm very sure he will come back from that. During my seven years at Liverpool, with the academy we created a close relationship," he said in Friday's press conference ahead of the clash against Nottingham Forest.

"I always followed him, we had a little exchange this morning but nothing too deep, it wasn't a long conversation. I can imagine it is a disappointment for him with the ambitions that he had and the things he wanted to achieve with Aston Villa, it's obviously not good.

"We don't need to worry, he knows the game long enough, it's life, we all get knocks, it's all about how we respond. He always came back and he will come back from that, no doubt.

"A lot of great managers out there had to leave their previous clubs for different reasons. Quite frequently, they'll turn up somewhere else and will have learned from that situation.

"He will be back, 100 per cent, but I hope that he will take a bit of time for himself, since he finished his career he has pretty much been working all the time, so maybe use it now a little bit himself to recharge."

Jamie Carragher believes Aston Villa may have sacked Steven Gerrard because they feared the atmosphere at future games would become "toxic".

Villa acted shortly after Thursday's 3-0 Premier League loss to Fulham, a sixth defeat in 11 games for a Villa side who have won just twice in the top flight this season.

Carragher and Gerrard were long-standing Liverpool team-mates and remain close, to the point they had been discussing Villa's upcoming games just days ago.

However, Carragher was not surprised Villa opted for a change of head coach.

Speaking on Sky Sports News, Carragher said: "I don't think it was too much of a shock that the news came out. It was just whether the Aston Villa board would let Stevie take the [next] game because it's so close around the corner on Sunday against Brentford.

"But the reaction of the Villa fans, maybe they felt the crowd would be a little bit toxic on Sunday and better for all parties to part ways."

Carragher is intrigued to see whether Gerrard jumps back into a coaching role in the coming months, or whether he keeps his distance for a while.

Gerrard enjoyed considerable trophy success at Rangers but could not replicate that with Villa, departing after just under 12 months at the helm.

"I'm really not sure whether Stevie would go back in or wait 12 months," said Carragher. "I spoke to him a few days ago about the upcoming games for Aston Villa, and he's not daft, he knows the situation.

"It will be really interesting, that's not something I've spoken to him about, whether he's the type of guy who wants to be manager for the next 20 years or he's maybe picked certain jobs that really appeal to him. I think that's what he's done in the first few jobs that he's picked.

"Whether Stevie would drop down to the Championship, I'm really not sure."

Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe said the sacking was a reminder of the "volatile" nature of being a Premier League boss, and he expects Gerrard to find another club before long.

"I'm disappointed for Steve. I think he's a very good manager," Howe said at Newcastle's press conference ahead of Sunday's meeting with Tottenham. 

"It just goes to show the short-term nature of everyone's thinking. I've got no doubt on his quality and I'm sure he'll be back very soon."

Villa on Friday announced the departure of five of Gerrard's staff, including former Scotland captain Gary McAllister. He has left the club, along with Neil Critchley, Tom Culshaw, Jordan Milsom and Scott Mason

They have put first-team coach Aaron Danks in temporary charge, meaning he will lead the side for the Brentford game.

Chief executive Christian Purslow said Villa's target "of continuous improvement" had not been achieved under Gerrard, adding: "The process of appointing a new head coach is under way and we will update supporters as soon as possible."

Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez is a "goal machine" and will only improve as he grows in confidence, according to team-mate Kostas Tsimikas.

Nunez scored his second goal in his last two Premier League starts to guide Liverpool to a 1-0 win over West Ham on Wednesday, a result which moved Jurgen Klopp's men to within four points of the top four.

The Uruguay striker was criticised by some for starting slowly following his big-money move from Benfica, but he has now hit five goals for Liverpool in all competitions this season.

That tally has only been bettered by two of his team-mates: Mohamed Salah (nine) and Roberto Firmino (eight).

Asked about Nunez's qualities, Tsimikas said: "He's always there. He can score with the left, with the right, with the head – he's a goal machine.

"He needs confidence, [which] is coming, and I hope for him all the best [to] score more and more goals to help the team, to give us more wins. For us, he is a very, very important player."

Tsimikas teed up Nunez's headed winner with a pinpoint delivery from the left flank, and has now provided five assists in all competitions this season – a tally only matched by Diogo Jota among fellow Liverpool players.

The Greece international was particularly pleased to have laid on a goal for Nunez, adding: "It's a very good moment for me. Especially because it was a cross for Darwin, because I wanted to assist him."

Tsimikas, quoted on Liverpool's website, said: "I'm very, very happy for him because I know he wanted to score also. Obviously he would [want] to score more goals but hopefully he keeps his energy and his goals for the next games. 

"I'm very, very happy for that. Every day, I work to make better crosses and to have better performances. So, I'm very happy for that."

Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 29 Premier League games at Anfield (W22 D7), and have scored 100 goals against West Ham in the competition, making the Irons the fourth side they have reached a century of goals against, after Newcastle United, Arsenal and Tottenham.