Liverpool's confusing season continues. Beating Napoli 2-0 looks a dazzling result when set in a certain context, yet utterly meaningless in another.

Did they deliver for Jurgen Klopp? If so, why didn't they deliver for Klopp against Nottingham Forest and Leeds United on the past two Premier League weekends?

Two tap-ins ended Napoli's unbeaten run that stretched back to April, but Liverpool needed to win by four goals to pip their visitors to top spot in Champions League Group A after a shocking September night in Naples.

So Napoli advance to the last 16 as group winners, Liverpool joining them as runners-up, and that was more or less what everyone expected from the first minute of this tussle.

But just for a moment, Mohamed Salah's match-winning strike meant the world, and Darwin Nunez's last-gasp second goal of the game put a red cherry on the cake.

Liverpool were not English football's down-and-outs before this game, but some would have had them heading that way after those rotten league defeats plunged them firmly into the mid-table mud.

And this was most certainly not the old Liverpool. That team has gone for now, but Klopp commanded his charges to never "lose sight of our own qualities and our own potential", insisting they "can turn things around" and describing it as their "responsibility" to do so.

He urged the players to "change the perception that exists" of them, to summon their "bravest face" for the rest of Europe to witness, and on this night they just about obliged.

The last time Napoli visited Anfield, on November 27, 2019, it was a meeting of soaraway league leaders and a team in crisis. Liverpool led the Premier League by eight points from their nearest rivals, who at that point in the season were Leicester City.

Napoli, meanwhile, were in disarray after first-team players rebelled en masse and quit a training retreat just days before the Anfield visit. That getaway was ordered by club president Aurelio De Laurentiis and there were reports of heavy fines for those that fled.

On the pitch back on that occasion, Napoli were without a win in six matches in all competitions as they arrived in Liverpool. Carlo Ancelotti was a fortnight away from the sack, while in the present day it is Klopp's position that appears at its most endangered in years.

The game finished 1-1 three years ago, Liverpool coming from behind in what one press box colleague that night described to me as the Reds' "worst performance of the season".

Liverpool went on to win the Premier League, their first domestic league title triumph since 1989-90.

Napoli are presently chasing their first Serie A crown since... 1989-90. A day after Halloween, such parallels were almost spooky, these teams seemingly heading in opposite directions.

So what did Tuesday's rematch bring? Well, firstly, a meeting of soaraway league leaders and a team in crisis.

As Liverpool's form goes from bad to worse in the Premier League, Napoli are racing away in Serie A, five points clear of second-placed Atalanta, whom they face on Saturday. They were on a 13-game winning streak ahead of this tussle, including a 4-1 mauling of Klopp's men back at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

Ahead of kick-off, Klopp's agent dismissed a theory the German manager could resign, pointing to a contract that has almost four years to run. This was Klopp's 100th Champions League game, across his time with Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool, making him the first German boss to reach that landmark, but it arrived at a dark hour in his Reds reign.

What could he, and what could we, hope to learn? What was needed from Liverpool was a performance, something to carry into the Premier League games against Tottenham and Southampton that come before the World Cup break.

Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, at 24 years and 25 days, became the youngest player in the club's history to tot up 50 Champions League appearances.

In his landmark outing, Alexander-Arnold was confronted by a defender's worst nightmare in Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the young Georgian winger who is taking Europe by storm this season and shone in the first half here before fading.

Leo Ostigard thought he had headed Napoli ahead when he powered in a free-kick from Kvaratskhelia in the 53rd minute. In the 57th minute, the goal was disallowed for offside, with VAR seemingly operating at traction engine pace.

Napoli had never won away from home against an English side in European competition, drawing three times and losing on eight of their previous visits. It was looking like this might be the night they ended their wait.

And then, with five minutes plus VAR timing remaining, Salah prodded in from a foot out after Nunez's header from a corner was saved on the line.

Anfield roared, Luciano Spalletti frowned, and Jurgen Klopp allowed himself a smile before hugging the substituted Curtis Jones. Nunez tucked in from even closer range deep into stoppage time, and suddenly it was songs and good times again at the famous old ground.

Napoli should be fine and keep winning in Serie A. They impressed again, but perhaps slackened off once it became clear Liverpool would not be hitting four past them.

Quite what happens next for Liverpool is anybody's guess. They could yet head into the World Cup break in the Premier League's bottom half, or this might be a turning point.

This result and performance was "a really good reaction", according to Klopp. "I'm really happy," he told BT Sport.

His team have won five Champions League games in a row, so why wouldn't he be happy? Ah yes, the Premier League.

Mohamed Salah's late goal gave Liverpool the lead before Darwin Nunez's stoppage-time sealer secured a 2-0 win over Napoli to give Jurgen Klopp victory in his 400th game in charge, ending the visitors' unbeaten start to the campaign.

Both sides were already assured of a place in the knockout stages of the competition, with only a four-goal winning margin enough to see Liverpool usurp Napoli in top spot.

The Reds managed two late strikes courtesy of Salah and Nunez, with Salah scrambling one over the line in the 85th minute after Alex Meret just about kept out substitute Nunez's header.

Nunez added a second from the final act of the match as Napoli, who earlier had a Leo Skiri Ostigard effort ruled out for offside, saw their unbeaten run ended at 17 matches.

Neither team could really find any rhythm in a quiet first half that took half an hour for the first shot on target to arrive, with Tanguy Ndombele forcing a save out of Alisson.

Liverpool attacked up the other end and only an Meret stop prevented Thiago Alcantara from opening the scoring, shortly before Curtis Jones headed just over the crossbar.

Ostigard guided Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's free-kick delivery past Alisson eight minutes into the second period, but VAR – after a three-minute wait – ruled the defender was offside.

Kvaratskhelia then had a powerful volley saved by Alisson as Napoli, who had won their previous five group outings with a competition-high 20 goals, pushed for a winner.

A winner did arrive, albeit at the other end as Meret prevented Nunez's header from crossing the line, but Salah was there on the follow-up to poke over the line.

Nunez, introduced in the 73rd minute, added further gloss to the scoreline when tapping in a saved Virgil van Dijk header from under the bar.

What does it mean? Victory for Klopp on milestone occasion

Liverpool did not win by the four-goal margin required, which was never likely against in-form Napoli, meaning they will be unseeded in Monday's draw for the last 16.

But the Reds at least manage to put Saturday's league loss to Leeds United behind them with a narrow, if arguably slightly undeserved, victory in Klopp's 400th match in charge.

It was also the German's 100th Champions League game in his career, making him the seventh manager to reach that figure.

Darwin's chaotic cameo

Nunez has gained a reputation of being an 'agent of chaos' because of his erratic playing style, and so that proved in his 20 minutes or so on the field against Napoli.

He played a big part in the opening goal and then added a late second, albeit after a nervy VAR check, for what was his first Liverpool goal in the Champions League.

Spalletti's side thwarted

Napoli had won 13 games in a row entering this match, including five from five in the Champions League with 20 goals scored – four short of Bayern Munich's all-time record.

The Serie A leaders managed just two shots on target and accumulated an expected goals (xG) value of 0.43, with this going down as an off-day for Luciano Spalletti's talented side.

What's next?

Liverpool will look to reignite their Premier League campaign when they travel to Tottenham on Sunday, while Serie A leaders Napoli head to second-place Atalanta on Saturday.

Mohamed Salah's late goal gave Liverpool the lead before Darwin Nunez's stoppage-time sealer secured a 2-0 win over Napoli to give Jurgen Klopp victory in his 400th game in charge, ending the visitors' unbeaten start to the campaign.

Both sides were already assured of a place in the knockout stages of the competition, with only a four-goal winning margin enough to see Liverpool usurp Napoli in top spot.

The Reds managed two late strikes courtesy of Salah and Nunez, with Salah scrambling one over the line in the 85th minute after Alex Meret just about kept out substitute Nunez's header.

Nunez added a second from the final act of the match as Napoli, who earlier had a Leo Skiri Ostigard effort ruled out for offside, saw their unbeaten run ended at 17 matches.

Neither team could really find any rhythm in a quiet first half that took half an hour for the first shot on target to arrive, with Tanguy Ndombele forcing a save out of Alisson.

Liverpool attacked up the other end and only an Alex Meret stop prevented Thiago Alcantara from opening the scoring, shortly before Curtis Jones headed just over the crossbar.

Ostigard guided Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's free-kick delivery past Alisson eight minutes into the second period, but VAR – after a three-minute wait – ruled the defender was offside.

Kvaratskhelia then had a powerful volley saved by Alisson as Napoli, who had won their previous five group outings with a competition-high 20 goals, pushed for a winner.

A winner did arrive, albeit at the other end as Meret prevented Nunez's header from crossing the line, but Salah was there on the follow-up to poke over the line.

Nunez, introduced in the 73rd minute, added further gloss to the scoreline when tapping in Virgil van Dijk's goal-bound header from under the bar.

Crysencio Summerville's dramatic 89th-minute winner condemned Liverpool to a second successive Premier League defeat as Leeds United left Anfield with a shock 2-1 victory.

Jurgen Klopp's men were beaten by bottom-of-the-table Nottingham Forest last weekend, and Summerville's late goal means the Reds have lost back-to-back games to teams in the relegation zone for the first time since March 2012.

Liverpool gave themselves an uphill struggle early on when Joe Gomez gifted Rodrigo Moreno the opener, though it did not take Mohamed Salah long to restore parity.

The Reds were even more dominant in the second half but they could not find a way past the excellent Illan Meslier, and Summerville – on the eve of his 21st birthday – prodded home at the end to rescue a potentially vital win for the under-fire Jesse Marsch and Leeds.

The match was less than four minutes old when Gomez went rogue, sending his backpass wide of Alisson and Rodrigo was on hand to tap in.

Liverpool hit back 10 minutes later; Salah left with a similarly easy finish from Andy Robertson's left-wing delivery.

Leeds were almost ahead again soon after as Brendan Aaronson saw his volley crash against the crossbar, but Liverpool's dominance continued to grow.

They piled the pressure on in the final 30 minutes, forcing Meslier into a flurry of saves.

He rushed out to thwart Darwin Nunez when one-one-on, before also saving smartly from Jordan Henderson.

The young Frenchman then tipped a long-range Nunez effort over and made a crucial block from Salah with five minutes left.

Leeds took full advantage of Meslier's heroics, as Summerville instinctively poked past Alisson at the other end to seal the Whites' first Anfield win in over 21 years.



What does it mean? Liverpool crisis deepens as Jesse Marsches on

Klopp said last weekend's defeat to Forest left him feeling "as low as possible" – well, they have plumbed new depths here.

Liverpool were dominant and clearly created enough chances to win, but their chronic lack of ruthlessness proved their undoing yet again.

Similarly, a lot has been said of Leeds' issues this term coming down to luck, with the stats suggesting they should be better off than they are. Certainly, they did not look like a team who have given up on their manager.

Meslier plays his part

Summerville will get the headlines and the glory, but this win would not have been possible were it not for Meslier. His nine saves is a joint-high for a Premier League game this season.

Nunez fluffs his lines

Liverpool striker Nunez was very lively and in many respects had a good game – he set up four shooting opportunities for his team-mates. However, he was simply not reliable in front of goal, hitting a one-on-one straight at Meslier and also hesitating in the first half when the chance for a lob presented itself.

What's next?

Liverpool are at home to Napoli on Tuesday in the Champions League before going to Tottenham in the league next Sunday. Leeds face Bournemouth at Elland Road the day before.

Crysencio Summerville's dramatic 89th-minute winner condemned Liverpool to a second successive Premier League defeat as Leeds United left Anfield with a shock 2-1 victory.

Jurgen Klopp's men were beaten by bottom-of-the-table Nottingham Forest last weekend, and Summerville's late goal means the Reds have lost back-to-back games to teams in the relegation zone for the first time since March 2012.

Liverpool gave themselves an uphill struggle early on when Joe Gomez gifted Rodrigo Moreno the opener, though it did not take Mohamed Salah long to restore parity.

The Reds were even more dominant in the second half but they could not find a way past the excellent Illan Meslier and Summerville – on the eve of his 21st birthday – prodded home at the end to rescue a potentially vital win for the under-fire Jesse Marsch and Leeds.

Liverpool fans will say their team is like a box of chocolates at the moment in that you never know what you're going to get, and also they can be hazardous to your health.

A wobbly start to the campaign looked to have got back on track after wins against Manchester City and West Ham, only for an insipid defeat at Nottingham Forest last week to send Jurgen Klopp's men back into crisis.

A 3-0 win at Ajax on Wednesday to secure their place in the last 16 of the Champions League should boost confidence again, but it is still anyone's guess as to which version of the Reds will turn up when they host Leeds United on Saturday.

Jesse Marsch heads to Anfield under serious pressure himself, with Leeds having not won in eight Premier League games (D2, L6) since beating Chelsea 3-0 at Elland Road in August.

Stats Perform has taken a look behind the numbers heading into this clash to try and get to the bottom of what can be expected.

Home comforts can calm Reds nerves

They may have not had the best start to the campaign domestically, having not won any of their five Premier League away games (D2 L3), but Liverpool remain a force to be reckoned with at Anfield.

Klopp's side are unbeaten 29 league home games (W22 D7), scoring 73 goals and conceding just 16 in that run.

It has not all been plain sailing, having fallen behind in five of their previous six at Anfield prior to back-to-back 1-0 wins against City and West Ham, but more often than not they get the job done.

Virgil van Dijk is still yet to suffer a Premier League defeat in his home stadium since his move from Southampton in January 2018 (70 games – W59 D11).

You've lost that winning feeling

When Leeds were celebrating a well-earned victory against Chelsea on August 21, few would have thought they would not have experienced another by late October.

As mentioned, the Whites are winless in their last eight league games, which is the longest current run of any team in the Premier League.

Leeds have also lost each of their past four away games, last losing five in a row on the road in the top flight between January and March 2003 – the fifth game of which was at Liverpool, where they were beaten 3-1.

They will also be missing several players through injury, with Rodrigo Moreno's likely absence a blow as the Spaniard has scored five goals in 10 Premier League games this season, just one fewer than he netted in 31 appearances last season, and just two less than he managed in his best scoring season in the competition in 2020-21 (seven in 26 games).

Mo Salah, fewer problems

Mohamed Salah has been the subject of much debate this season, seemingly not hitting his usual heights.

Last season's joint-top scorer in the Premier League seemingly enjoys facing Leeds, though, having been involved in six goals in two home appearances against them (five goals, one assist).

Salah has 10 goals in 17 games in all competitions, and is coming off another fine finish to open the scoring in Liverpool's victory in Amsterdam on Wednesday.

The Egypt forward has also created more chances from open play than any other player in the Premier League this season (28). He is creating 2.6 chances per 90 minutes on average this season, his best rate in a single campaign in the competition.

No more bottom feeding

While they have dropped some sloppy points this season, Liverpool could at least take some comfort in the fact their only Premier League defeats had been against fellow big fish Manchester United and Arsenal.

That was until last week when they handed three points to bottom club Forest, and they will be looking to avoid a similar story this time around.

Liverpool have not lost consecutive Premier League games against sides in the relegation zone since March 2012, when a defeat at QPR was followed by a home loss to Wigan Athletic.

They have already lost more league games this season (three) than they did in the whole of 2021-22 (two), while their 16 points from 11 games is their worst return at this stage of a campaign since 2014-15 (14).

Leeds might smell blood, or arguably more likely, face the wrath of a wounded beast.

Jurgen Klopp hopes Liverpool reaching the Champions League knockout stages can give "everyone a lift" as the Reds aim to atone for an underwhelming Premier League start.

Klopp has progressed through every Champions League group stage with Liverpool, achieving a club-record sixth straight qualification with a 3-0 victory at Ajax on Wednesday.

Mohamed Salah became the third player to be directly involved in 50 or more goals in the competition for English clubs with a first-half finish and an assist after the interval for Harvey Elliott.

Darwin Nunez scored the other goal as Liverpool eased into the last 16, with Klopp hoping the Reds can carry that form into the Premier League, where they sit eighth – 12 points behind leaders Arsenal.

"We had a tough half an hour, where Ajax made a lot of pressure, and we had to defend a lot. That is fine, it is an away game in the Champions League," the Liverpool manager said on BT Sport.

"We changed system a little bit, we had to, they are a good football team, we wanted Darwin a little bit more central, so we had to adjust.

"We don't have to talk about [our form] all the time, we are through to the knockout stages and I will never take that for granted.

"Really important, it gives everyone a lift for the club. Really helpful, for tonight we all feel great, exhausted but great, and now we have a few days time to prepare for Leeds United."

Nunez inexplicably squandered a glorious first-half opportunity as he hit the post with the goal gaping, but made amends four minutes after the interval with a header from Robertson's corner.

The Scotland international revealed the former Benfica striker's half-time fury after a disappointing finish, though Robertson was delighted to see Nunez get on the scoresheet in a convincing victory.

"We had control. Darwin was really angry with himself at half-time," Robertson told BT Sport. "I sat next to him at half-time and told him I would put a cross in for him to score.

"We knew they had to win. They tried to start fast, and I don't think we calmed down quickly enough, but the important thing was we didn't concede.

"We managed to keep it tight, and then it was about getting the first goal. Three nil at this place, a really tough place to come and the clean sheet is so important for us now."

Liverpool will look to take the momentum from an impressive European win into the Premier League on Sunday, when they face strugglers Leeds.

Mohamed Salah continued his Champions League scoring run as Liverpool sealed their place in the knockout stages with a 3-0 triumph at Ajax.

Jurgen Klopp has now progressed from six consecutive group stages in the competition with Liverpool, a club-record run, after the Reds dominated on Wednesday in Amsterdam.

Salah scored his sixth goal in his last four Champions League games with a 42nd-minute opener, before Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott added quickfire second-half finishes to seal victory.

Ajax will drop into the Europa League by avoiding a resounding defeat at winless Rangers on matchday six, while Liverpool must beat leaders Napoli by an unlikely four goals to win Group A.

Ajax should have taken a third-minute lead but Steven Berghuis struck a gilt-edged opportunity against the right post, with the midfielder curling narrowly wide shortly after.

A resolute Liverpool continued with their backs against the wall before Andy Robertson smashed a rare Reds chance just off target, but Klopp's visitors soon hit the front.

Jordan Henderson delicately chipped through for Salah to neatly lift over the onrushing Remko Pasveer, before Nunez inexplicably smashed the left post with the goal gaping two minutes later.

Nunez made amends after the interval, heading Robertson's corner in off the right post before Elliott fired into the roof of the net two minutes later.

Substitute Kenneth Taylor blasted a presentable opportunity over after the hour mark, though Ajax never threatened an unlikely comeback.

What does it mean? Reds continue Ajax hot streak to qualify with ease

Underwhelming returns in the Premier League thus far have led to scrutiny for Liverpool, though the Reds emphatically delivered in what was their 150th match in the Champions League.

Klopp will take encouragement from the Reds' fourth straight victory in the competition over Ajax – only Real Madrid (seven) have managed a longer such streak – leaving Alfred Schreuder with much to ponder.

Ajax, whose first-half dominance failed to pay dividends, will likely settle for a Europa League place after falling to a seventh loss in nine home games against English sides in Europe.

Super Salah

Salah may be yet to hit his usual heights in the Premier League, but the forward collected his 42nd goal in the Champions League – only Didier Drogba (44) has more among African players.

The Egypt international presented a constant threat on the right flank, scoring in a fourth straight game in the competition for just the second time, as well as assisting Elliott for the third goal.

Bad from Berghuis

Berghuis was left to rue his two early missed chances, the first of those a routine finish that the midfielder would have been expected to slot past Alisson and into the back of the net. 

Those errant efforts summarised a frustrating outing for Ajax, who started in dominant fashion but faded away rapidly after Salah's first-half opener.

What's next?

Liverpool host Premier League strugglers Leeds United on Sunday, while Ajax are not in action until their final Champions League game at Rangers on Tuesday.

Karim Benzema said he had realised a childhood dream by winning the Ballon d'Or for the first time on Monday.

The Real Madrid captain was rewarded for an outstanding 2021-22 campaign when he was named the best player in the world at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris.

Benzema scored an astonishing 44 goals in 46 games as Madrid accomplished a LaLiga and Champions League double under Carlo Ancelotti last season.

The France striker, who turns 35 in December, became the oldest Ballon d'Or winner since the great Stanley Matthews way back in 1956.

Benzema was presented with the award by his former Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane, who had been the last French player to win in 1998, on a special evening in his homeland.

He said: "Seeing this award in front of me makes me really proud of the work I have done. It was childhood dream, to have the motivation... I had two role models, Zidane and Ronaldo [the Brazil legend], and always I had this dream in my mind that anything is possible.

"There was a difficult period where I wasn't in the French team, but I never stopped working hard or gave up.

"Really proud of my journey here. It wasn't easy, it was difficult. To be here today for the first time, I am happy, pleased for my work and want to keep going.

"I want to thank all my team-mates at Real Madrid and France and my coach and the Real Madrid president, who is here this evening, and also the support of Jean-Michel Aulas [Lyon president].

"There are a lot of people to thank. It is an individual prize but still a collective one because of everyone who played a role in it."

Bayern Munich's former Liverpool forward Sadio Mane was the runner-up, with Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne third and Robert Lewandowski fourth after an outstanding final season for Bayern Munich before joining Barcelona.

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah was ranked fifth and Paris Saint-Germain's prolific France international Kylian Mbappe only sixth.

Benzema added: "Age is just a number for me. People play until their later years now, and I still have this burning desire.

"It is this drive that has kept me going and never allowed me to let up. It kept this dream alive and was the fire behind me. I just want to make the most if it."

Karim Benzema has been rewarded for his career-best 2021-22 season with his first Ballon d'Or in a ceremony at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris.

Real Madrid captain Benzema was a strong favourite for the top award on Monday after inspiring the Spanish giants to a LaLiga and Champions League double last term.

Ahead of a November-December World Cup, a change in the format saw the Ballon d'Or awarded based on performances over a regular season rather than the calendar year for the first time.

France international Benzema would have been a leading candidate in either case, but he was the clear winner after scoring 44 goals in 46 matches and earning a fifth European crown in the 2021-22 campaign.

Bayern Munich's former Liverpool forward Sadio Mane was the runner-up, with Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne third and Robert Lewandowski fourth after an outstanding final season for Bayern Munich before joining Barcelona.

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah was ranked fifth and Paris Saint-Germain's prolific France international Kylian Mbappe only sixth.

Lewandowski won the Gerd Muller Award, presented to the best striker, before Benzema was handed the Ballon d'Or by his former Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane.

Although his haul was topped by Lewandowski (50), 10 of Benzema's goals came in the Champions League knockout stages, tying a Cristiano Ronaldo single-season record.

Vinicius Junior netted the decisive strike in the final versus Liverpool, but Benzema had already established himself as the world's best with hat-tricks against both Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.

Adding 15 assists, Benzema's total of 59 goal involvements last season fell just shy of Mbappe's Europe-wide high of 60 (39 goals, 21 assists).

Benzema had been nominated for the Ballon d'Or on 10 previous occasions but only cracked the top 10 for the first time in 2021, finishing fourth as Lionel Messi – not nominated this year – claimed a seventh award.

Cristiano Ronaldo finished in 20th place in the Ballon d'Or voting as he headlined an array of stars to fall short of 2022 winner Karim Benzema.

Ronaldo, Benzema's former Real Madrid team-mate, was nominated following a strong season with Manchester United, but he could not come close to adding a sixth Ballon d'Or.

The United forward instead fell to his lowest finish since he last came 20th in 2005, then tied with Liverpool's Champions League winner Jamie Carragher.

Great rival Lionel Messi did not even earn a nomination after his first year at Paris Saint-Germain.

Some of the biggest names of the future came rather closer to troubling Karim Benzema, with Kylian Mbappe sixth and Erling Haaland 10th.

But neither made the final four, where Robert Lewandowski's world-leading 57-goal season for club and country was only enough for fourth place.

Ahead of him, Kevin De Bruyne was in third, with Sadio Mane second, perhaps showing what might have been for the ex-Liverpool forward had the Reds, not Madrid, won the Champions League final.

With Ronaldo 20th and Messi absent, the highest-ranking former Ballon d'Or winner was 2018's Luka Modric, one of Benzema's existing Madrid colleagues.

Modric came ninth, the lowest of four Madrid players in the top 10, as Champions League final winner Vinicius Junior was eighth and Yashin Trophy recipient Thibaut Courtois seventh.

2022 Ballon d'Or:

1. Karim Benzema
2. Sadio Mane
3. Kevin De Bruyne
4. Robert Lewandowski
5. Mohamed Salah
6. Kylian Mbappe
7. Thibaut Courtois
8. Vinicius Junior
9. Luka Modric
10. Erling Haaland
11. Son Heung-min
12. Riyad Mahrez
13. Sebastien Haller
14. Fabinho
14. Rafael Leao
16. Virgil van Dijk
17. Casemiro
17. Dusan Vlahovic
17. Luis Diaz
20. Cristiano Ronaldo
21. Harry Kane
22. Trent Alexander-Arnold
22. Phil Foden
22. Bernardo Silva
25. Joshua Kimmich
25. Mike Maignan
25. Antonio Rudiger
25. Joao Cancelo
25. Christopher Nkunku
25. Darwin Nunez

Karim Benzema has been rewarded for his career-best 2021-22 season with his first Ballon d'Or in a ceremony at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris.

Real Madrid captain Benzema was a strong favourite for the top award on Monday after inspiring the Spanish giants to a LaLiga and Champions League double last term.

Ahead of a November-December World Cup, a change in the format saw the Ballon d'Or awarded based on performances over a regular season rather than the calendar year for the first time.

France international Benzema would have been a leading candidate in either case, but he was the clear winner after scoring 44 goals in 46 matches and earning a fifth European crown in the 2021-22 campaign.

Although his haul was topped by Robert Lewandowski (50) – then of Bayern Munich and now of Barcelona – 10 of Benzema's goals came in the Champions League knockout stages, tying a Cristiano Ronaldo single-season record.

Vinicius Junior netted the decisive strike in the final versus Liverpool, but Benzema had already established himself as the world's best with hat-tricks against both Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.

Adding 15 assists, Benzema's total of 59 goal involvements last season fell just shy of Kylian Mbappe's Europe-wide high of 60 (39 goals, 21 assists).

Benzema had been nominated for the Ballon d'Or on 10 previous occasions but only cracked the top 10 for the first time in 2021, finishing fourth as Lionel Messi – not nominated this year – claimed a seventh award.

Jurgen Klopp admitted he deserved to be sent off against Manchester City, but the Liverpool manager also aired his disappointment at the officiating during his team's 1-0 win at Anfield.

Mohamed Salah scored the only goal of a frenetic game on Sunday, latching onto a long pass from Alisson with 14 minutes remaining to finish past Ederson.

It was City's first Premier League defeat of the season, but the visitors were left frustrated when Phil Foden's second-half strike with the score at 0-0 was chalked off after referee Anthony Taylor was asked to look at the pitchside monitor by the video assistant referee, which showed Erling Haaland pulling over Fabinho in the build-up.

City boss Pep Guardiola and Klopp both showed frustration at Taylor's decisions through the game, with the latter shown a red card after objecting to a challenge on Salah with five minutes remaining going unpunished.

"Yeah, it's about emotion of course... red card, my fault," Klopp conceded at his post-match press conference.

"I went over the top in the moment, I don't think I was disrespectful to anybody but when you look at the pictures back – I know myself for 55 years that the way I look in these moments is already worth a red card.

"I lost it in that moment and that is not OK, but I think a little bit as an excuse I would like to mention, how can you not whistle that foul [on Salah]? How on earth is it possible? And I wish I could get an explanation.

"I don't know what Pep said now in here, probably not a lot, probably very disappointed or frustrated or whatever. But during the game we agreed completely that Anthony Taylor just let the things run. Why would you do that? Both teams, it was not one, but I heard now that people said it was Anfield that made the VAR decision [to disallow Foden's goal].

"With a foul on Mo, Anfield had no chance to make any impact. It's a foul on Fabinho, I think we agree on that. Is it not enough to pull somebody down?

"So there was already the first moment where Pep and I were pretty animated, both, but actually for the same reason to be 100 per cent honest. For the same reason, we were not arguing with each other, not at all.

"Then [the red card] situation, I just had the perfect view, and the linesman, and you can imagine we are 1-0 up and we have a free-kick there or a counter-attack there. That is pretty much a 100 per cent difference and that was when I snapped and again, I am not proud of that, but it happened."

One negative for Klopp was seeing Diogo Jota injured late on. The Portugal international has only recently returned from injury, but his manager did not sound hopeful, saying: "Diogo, I wish I wouldn't have to talk about it.

"When I saw he goes down and there was not a lot of contact, you can see a little bit that somebody kicks his foot and maybe the muscle got overstretched, [playing for] 96 minutes, that's not good for the muscle. He felt it immediately and now we have to wait to see how bad it is."

Klopp already had to make changes to his line-up due to injuries, with Ibrahima Konate missing out and James Milner starting at right-back, meaning Joe Gomez moved back into the middle of the defence.

The 25-year-old helped to keep Haaland and company quiet, and Klopp praised his "outstanding talent", along with Milner's efforts.

"It's just great for Joey that he can show what a player he is," he said. "Outstanding, outstanding talent, a great player and can play different positions, obviously.

"Today was sensational, a mature performance together with Virgil [van Dijk] and the two full-backs.

"I'd like to mention – and it's fine, Joey deserves all the praise – but I am pretty sure before the game a lot of people thought, 'Oh, James Milner against Phil Foden.' The way James Milner played was absolutely unbelievable. Joey as well."

Mohamed Salah condemned Manchester City to a first Premier League defeat of the season as Liverpool took all three points in a brilliant game at Anfield.

A long ball from Alisson was latched onto by Salah before he fired past Ederson to earn Liverpool just their third league win of the campaign.

Chelsea beat struggling Aston Villa 2-0 and Arsenal secured a 1-0 victory over Leeds United at Elland Road, while Manchester United and Newcastle United played out a hard-fought goalless draw at Old Trafford.

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

Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City: Salah maintains Reds' unbeaten Anfield record

Liverpool's impressive home form continued as they made it 28 Premier League matches unbeaten at Anfield (21 victories, seven draws) with a win over the champions.

Salah's strike makes it 14 goal involvements for him against City in all competitions, more than against any other opponent, while he is the second player to score in four consecutive Premier League home appearances against the Citizens, after Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink between 2000 and 2004.

Alisson has now assisted Salah three times in the Premier League, more than any other goalkeeper-outfield player combination in competition history.

The defeat for City means Pep Guardiola has now lost 11 games against Jurgen Klopp, at least four more than against any other coach.

Aston Villa 0-2 Chelsea: Mount double adds to Gerrard pressure

Steven Gerrard's job security was already coming into question before Graham Potter's Blues took victory at Villa Park on Sunday with two Mason Mount goals and an impressive display from goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Since Gerrard took over as Villa head coach in November 2021, only Watford (12) and Norwich (nine) have lost more home Premier League games than the Villans (eight).

Chelsea were fired to victory by Mount, who scored his 25th and 26th Premier League goals for the Blues, becoming the second-youngest player to reach the 25-goal landmark for the club (23y 279d), after Eden Hazard (23y 271d).

Potter's impressive start to life as Chelsea boss continues with his fifth win in six games since taking over (one draw). Those five victories have come in the last five matches, the joint-longest winning run of Potter's managerial career.

7 - Kepa Arrizabalaga made seven saves while keeping a clean sheet against Aston Villa, his most saves without conceding in his top-flight league career. The Spaniard was expected to concede at least two goals based on the placement of the on-target shots he faced. Rejuvenated. pic.twitter.com/RPJNZeqImR

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 16, 2022

Leeds United 0-1 Arsenal: Saka strikes again as Gunners continue strong start

Bukayo Saka's 35th-minute goal at Elland Road was enough for Arsenal to record a ninth win in their opening 10 Premier League games, the first time in their history they have managed this in a top-flight campaign.

Arsenal were forced to ride their luck in the second half though, as Patrick Bamford put a penalty wide for Leeds with their first missed spot-kick in the Premier League since Alan Smith was denied by Brad Friedel against Blackburn in 2002.

The Gunners failed to register a second-half shot on target, while they failed to score after half-time in the Premier League for the first time this season.

Another defeat for Leeds means they are now winless in six Premier League games, losing four of these while drawing the other two as they remain without a top-flight win since August.

Manchester United 0-0 Newcastle United: Red Devils lacklustre in home draw

Manchester United were held by a Newcastle side who may feel disappointed not to have earned victory, having twice struck the woodwork through Joelinton.

The Red Devils went close on a couple of occasions late on but could not prevent the match finishing goalless, United's 76th Premier League game ending in a 0-0 scoreline and their 31st since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

Newcastle picked up a point at a stadium where they have struggled in the past, with their 3.6 per cent Premier League win rate (one win in 28 games) at Old Trafford their joint-lowest at any ground where they have played 10 or more times in the competition.

The visitors could have had all three points after an impressive first-half display, but their inability to find a decisive goal means they have now drawn six Premier League games this season, two more than any other side.

Two players with reason to be pleased were the goalkeepers, with David de Gea earning a shutout in his 500th Premier League appearance for United while Nick Pope enjoyed his 50th clean sheet in the top flight, with no English stopper keeping more since Pope's debut in the competition in September 2017 (level with Jordan Pickford).

Mohamed Salah insisted Liverpool's win against Manchester City does not mean they are back in the title race, despite a hard-fought victory over the Premier League champions at Anfield on Sunday.

The Egyptian scored the only goal of a typically fast-paced encounter between the two rivals, racing on to a long pass from Alisson before slotting past Ederson with 14 minutes remaining.

The loss was City's first in the league this season, but was also just Liverpool's third win from nine league outings, and Jurgen Klopp's men remain down in eighth place, 14 points behind leaders Arsenal and 10 behind City and Tottenham with a game in hand.

Salah said he and his team-mates are still "far away" from the top, but will try to get themselves back into it over time.

"No, we are still far away from [the title race]," he told Sky Sports. "We just need to focus on each game and take it one at a time, we don't have to think about the title at the moment.

"Of course, personally I always love to play for a title and in my head we are going to fight for it… we don't have to feel pressure because there is still a gap to first and second.

"You can see everybody here [is] unbelievable, and we should be in a better position than we are. The players are excited to win again and I think that will give us a good push for the next games."

Virgil van Dijk and the rest of the Liverpool backline did a solid job of keeping Erling Haaland quiet, with the Norwegian still getting off six shots but being denied by Reds stopper Alisson.

"It takes a lot to get three points [against City]," the Dutchman told Sky Sports. "It was always going to be very intense."

The Anfield crowd was at its best as the home fans roared Liverpool on to victory, and Van Dijk acknowledged their contribution.

"It's always like that [the atmosphere] and when certain moments happened in the game it added fuel to the fire," he said.

"It started with the hard work we put on the pitch, and that’s the minimum that’s expected here at this beautiful football club.

"That's what we gave, and the energy we had back today [from the fans] was definitely needed in order to push us forward and keep hold of the 1-0 advantage.

"They played a big part and that's what we need for the rest of the season, especially after a difficult start."

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.