Sports
How James Milner broke Premier League’s appearances record
“What makes James Milner special? I don’t know where to start, to be honest,” former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp tells ESPN. He quickly flicks through the nine years they spent together, the trophies they won. “Of all the success we had at Liverpool, nothing would’ve happened without him. That’s how it is really.”
On Saturday, at age 40, Milner was named in the starting XI for Brighton & Hove Albion against Brentford for his 654th Premier League appearance, surpassing the landmark set by Gareth Barry in 2017. “Reaching that number of appearances is just like landing on the moon. Maybe it only happens once?” Klopp says.
Milner made 230 of his Premier League appearances under the German coach. By the time Klopp took charge of Liverpool in October 2015, Milner had already lived enough to satisfy a career. He made his debut on Nov. 10, 2002, at age 16; suffered the heartbreak of being transferred away from his boyhood club, Leeds United; then made doubting managers eat their words.
“He’s very different to a lot of people that I’ve met in my career,” former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson, now at Brentford, tells ESPN. “You could never break him. No matter how bad the situation, no matter what’s thrown at him, I always felt that he would react in the right way and come back stronger, come back better.”
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His career has been so long that he played against England and Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman, who is now 62 years old. He has faced or played alongside 49% of players who have ever appeared in the Premier League. And for the six clubs he has laced up his boots for (Leeds, Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Liverpool, Brighton), he has won three Premier Leagues, two FA Cups, two league cups and one Champions League. Oh, and the Intertoto Cup.
Pundit and former manager Graeme Souness once said you could never win anything with a team of James Milners. Well, the quiet lad from Leeds, who has been called boring and boasts the same haircut he had when he was 3, has proved that sentiment wrong time and time again. Now he has set a record that will surely last for decades — one that no one boring or ordinary could ever have claimed.
“I hope after game No. 780 or whatever he reaches, and he retires, whatever he does next, the world desperately needs people like him,” Klopp says. “I’m so happy for him that he’s reached the landmark. … Being part of something for eternity is really special.”
But what has propelled Milner to this feat? Teammates, managers, teachers, musicians, rugby players and a referee who have all gotten to know him agree: Milner is one of a kind.
Steady professionalism
“He is probably the most disciplined, stubborn, professional football player I have ever worked with.” — Klopp
Milner’s unrelenting professionalism has anchored his career, even before he broke through into Leeds’ academy. In a school report, a 14-year-old Milner weighed whether to pursue golf or soccer. His heroes were Paul Gascoigne and Harry Kewell, so soccer won out.
Former Premier League referee Jon Moss was Milner’s PE teacher at Westbrook Lane Primary School when Milner was 11. “I think he cried a couple of times when we got beat for the school team,” Moss tells ESPN. “He was just that frustrated by it, though we didn’t get beat very often.” Everton called Milner for a trial, but that was canceled. So serendipity led him to Leeds, who signed Milner to their academy in 1996.
Lucy Ward, the former striker and TV pundit, mentored Milner and taught him at nearby Boston Spa School in her role as head of education and welfare at Leeds just before he made his Premier League debut. “He was more mature than the rest of his teammates, and the rest of them had good contracts, which doesn’t really help young lads focus the mind on education,” Ward tells ESPN. “… He was dedicated to making sure he made the best of himself. In 20 years — just in front of [AFC Bournemouth midfielder] Lewis Cook — he was the best in terms of attitude and commitment and humility.”
“If you said to me back then at 16 that he would still be playing in the Premier League when he’s 40, I’d have said, ‘Yes, I completely believe you,'” she adds. “You just know there’d be no stone left unturned to everything that he did.”
Milner played his way through the England age-grade sides, lining up alongside former Aston Villa striker Luke Moore for England under-15s and under-16s. “He had great fundamentals and mastered the basics in terms of being a professional even at that age,” Moore tells ESPN. “He was eating better than us, and stretching more than us. His only vice, I think, was golf.”
Milner was promoted to the first team by the late Terry Venables, who coached England and Barcelona before finishing his managerial career at Leeds. Players at the time remember seeing Milner turn up to training one day. “We knew all about him, of course, but when he came into training, he didn’t hold back at all,” former Leeds midfielder Eirik Bakke tells ESPN. “He just scored some unbelievable goals, and you’re like ‘f—, no,’ as you know you’ve got competition for places. He was one of the boys straight away, even though he looked like a schoolboy.”
After debuting off the bench against Nottingham Forest in November 2002, he scored his first for the club a month later at Sunderland. Simon Rix, bassist for the Kaiser Chiefs and die-hard Leeds fan, remembers watching Milner. “He was one of our prized assets but was being sent into the fields behind the training ground goals to collect balls, coming back with cuts down his legs,” he tells ESPN. “Looking back now, I feel this is a sign of the characteristics which would stand him in good stead.”
But by 2003-04, Leeds were in financial strife and were relegated at the end of the season. Milner was reluctantly moved to Newcastle. On the way out, he waived his loyalty bonus of approximately £150,000, a source told ESPN, hoping it would help his boyhood club. “He wasn’t trying to make people say, ‘Oh, well done, you. You’ve saved our club,'” Ward says. “He didn’t want to leave, but he’d never ever have put his foot down and said, ‘No, I’m staying here.'”
This professionalism and sense of what’s right carried him through his career. Klopp says that at Liverpool, Milner “ran the dressing room from an organization point of view.” It wasn’t until Milner left the club that the manager realized no one else knew how much players should be fined for being late. “We had to set [the rules] up completely new again because Milly left,” he says.
No one who knew him early in his career is surprised to see he is still going. “He’s the most professional player I’ve ever played with,” former England U21 and Aston Villa teammate Curtis Davies tells ESPN. “Him playing past 40 doesn’t shock me at all. He’s never needed anyone to tell him to do the right thing. The professionalism is just him.”
Unmatched fitness
“I said, ‘Milly, you are already the fittest one here, stop running.’ But he just kept going.” — Klopp
Milner’s fitness and preseason tests are the stuff of Premier League legend. All of his ex-teammates remember how he’d always be the last man standing in fitness tests, or the one leading the grueling long-distance runs in preseason.
“He was literally, like, the fittest man in the world when I played with him,” Davies says. “You’ll get certain players who as soon as they’ve beaten everyone else slowly drop out. But he’ll max himself out.”
1:35
Henderson: Milner’s Premier League appearance record a remarkable achievement
Jordan Henderson says James Milner deserves to break the Premier League appearance record.
It’s always been like that. “Even at 11 years old, he had the physique of a much older man,” Moss says. Sam Allardyce remembers Milner’s drive when he coached him at Newcastle: “There are no miraculous stories about James, other than he has the pure dedication of Cristiano Ronaldo in how he looks after himself,” he tells ESPN.
It didn’t always go down well with teammates. Nedum Onuoha was in the same England U21 side as Milner and Davies, and played again with Milner at Manchester City. “I mean this as a compliment, but it’s just really annoying!” Onuoha tells ESPN, laughing at the frustrating memories. “If there’s a chart and it’s ‘Who’s going to jump the highest in training today?’ Well, he’s going to jump to his maximum. … He gives 100% to everything, and you feel you must do the same.”
Longtime Manchester United winger Ashley Young played alongside Milner for Villa and England. “I remember at Villa under Martin O’Neill and him not thinking that we’d trained enough — that definitely pissed people off,” he tells ESPN. “Milly has lungs that keep going. They just never stop.”
Former rugby league star and current rugby union coach Kevin Sinfield has raised more than £10 million for charity since retirement and got to know Milner through the James Milner Foundation, which works closely with the foundation at Leeds Rhinos, Sinfield’s old club. “I know some people at Brighton, and I’ll always ask, ‘How’s James going?'” Sinfield says. “And they’ll tell me he’s still winning the fitness test; he’s still driving standards and he’s still raising the program. That’s a huge compliment for someone of that age.”
A fierce competitive fire
“You cannot get to this point without being incredibly determined. At the beginning of our player-coach relationship, it was clear immediately I needed to find a way to get him on my side, because he’s so influential in so many ways.” — Klopp
Davies and Onuoha remember the urine tests (to measure hydration) from their U21 days. “Milly’s score was always the best score. He was always the most hydrated,” Onuoha says. “And you’d be like, ‘Oh, what a nerd.’ He’s staying up and staying hydrated through the night.”
One day, Onuoha decided to beat him, guzzling water all day and night before his test. When it came time for the results, he and Davies were there to see Milner’s reaction. “You could tell by his face he was really pissed off,” Davies says. “It was his thing.”
In his book “Ask a Footballer,” Milner said, “I’ve always been desperate to prove people wrong, desperate to be the best I can, to win every match I play, to win trophies and desperate not to lose.” Of Souness’ comment that a team of James Milners couldn’t win anything, back when Souness was his manager at Newcastle, Milner said: “It was a kick in the teeth. If anything, it drove me on.”
“I think his motivation does come from people doubting him,” Young said. “It’s the mentality he’s always had — the mentality to be better than anyone else and the day before.”
“His commitment to do everything he can to help the team and to be successful, it’s unrivaled,” Onuoha says. “Whether it’s around, say, being in the gym, whether it’s getting the massages before, whether it’s making sure you arrive at a good time, making sure you watch the video analysis of teams, making sure you’ve practiced your crosses, your penalties.”
Henderson always reinforces Milner’s importance to the success they had at Liverpool, and how Milner was able to lift his spirits and provide a good energy when the team needed it most. “He can really push himself into a dark place [mentally], but despite the pain, he keeps fighting,” he says. “You need those types of people in games, who dig in and go to the final moments.”
Astonishing versatility
“When you think about James, people would probably say an honest, top professional. But I can tell you, he could do it all.” — Klopp
In the 2016-17 preseason, Milner was called into Klopp’s office. “I asked him, ‘What do you prefer, right or left back?’ and he said, ‘Neither.’ I knew the answer before as I wanted him to play left back. I asked him, but his answer didn’t really matter. He was not happy.”
Milner played most of that campaign at left back and excelled, but he was surely relieved when the club brought in Andy Robertson the next summer. Having started his career as a winger, Milner drifted inside to central midfield at Aston Villa in 2009-10, and started in central defense once and played a flurry of matches as a false nine for City. He was frequently found in the No. 10 spot throughout his career, and once Klopp shifted him to fullback, he played both sides.
In 441 Premier League starts, Milner has started at every position on the field save for goalkeeper. Versatility can lend itself to underappreciation; playing everywhere but never locking down a spot makes it easier to fly under the radar. But Milner’s adaptability has proved to be a career-defining virtue.
“If he was told, ‘You are going in goal,’ he would make sure to have a special session with the goalie coach, finding out everything about the opposition’s crossing,” Davies says. “The biggest compliment I can give him is he was never a fill-in. He could play anywhere on the field. That’s just the way he is.”
Young, who has also played nearly everywhere on the pitch, adds: “That’s key to everything, especially nowadays in the last six or seven years. Managers are playing different formations so players are adjusting all the time. If you’ve got a good football brain, you can play in different positions.”
Klopp remembers using him briefly at center back in 2020-21 amid Liverpool’s injury crisis that took out Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip. “Sometimes there was tension there, but we had a brilliant relationship, even though he was not always happy with my decisions.”
Klopp thinks Milner’s versatility has been a key factor in him having this longevity. “If you are fixed on one position, it’s pretty clear over the years in each club there will be a player in your position either as good as you or better. They’ll be younger, faster, stronger, better in heading. So the more positions you can play, it gives you a longer lifetime.
“… But the most important factor he has is his general skill set. He has absolutely everything and shows only 50, 60% of it. Both his right and left foot are excellent, he has decent speed, he’s fast, he can dribble, he’s good in tight spaces, good in big spaces. He has an incredible attitude and makes it clear the fancy stuff will not be there on matchday. From a skill set perspective, he’s one of the top five players I have worked with.”
Boring … or simply one of a kind
“If you want to have [your vacation] perfectly organized … take James. James will sort it — the driver will pick you up there, the hotel will be perfect, the rooms great. That’s not boring for me. That’s well organized and perfectly structured.” — Klopp
Milner has never been one to deliver a spicy interview quote or appear in tabloids. Toss in his reputation as a model professional, being teetotal and his matter-of-fact manner, and there was a perception outside of the dressing room that he was dull.
The Boring James Milner social media account gained traction about seven years ago, playing on his supposed dullness. The first thing Milner does in his book is address some myths generated about him via the account. “I believe it’s standard for a book of this type to begin with a shocking revelation, so here goes. My name is James Milner and I’m not a Ribena-holic. I don’t really drink much tea either. I actually prefer coffee. And it gets worse: I can’t iron.” So there goes the myth he irons his socks. But is James Milner still boring?
Those who know him say the answer is no, he is unique. When Milner started going to Spain on holiday, he got frustrated at not being able to order in Spanish, so he taught himself the language. To fill spare time the past few years in Brighton, with his two children settled in school up north, he taught himself the piano. “You can’t be as good as him and be dull,” Allardyce says.
Young agrees that Milner’s boringness is a preconception. “He’s not [boring] at all. He’s just always busy,” he says.
“He plays into that ‘boring James Milner’ thing, and I think if he was actually boring, he’d probably be more resentful of it,” Davies says. “But instead, he sort of uses it. Yes, he’s been different to others throughout his career, and though he doesn’t drink, he’s still part of every social activity. And if the thing finishes at 4 a.m., James is there at 4 a.m.”
Milner is incredibly proud of his foundation, which helps children get into sport in the north of England. They’ve held gala events, with the Kaiser Chiefs playing two of them. “They were always really well attended by past and present teammates, which I think shows something of his character,” bassist Rix says.
“I’ve loved supporting the foundation,” Sinfield says. “He’s done a lot of work in Leeds and he’s a caring guy. He wants to help people and is just a wonderful role model for sports people right across the world. I think the big message is good guys can win, and good guys can have longevity if they look after themselves.”
And what about the man himself? What’s his assessment of the tongue-in-cheek claim he’s boring? “Maybe being boring has helped keep me going in the Premier League … still the same lad from Leeds, still teetotal, still with the same girl and still with pretty much the same haircut.”
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Bryson DeChambeau is putting together a solid season at LIV Golf, and is looking to carry some of that momentum into the Masters this week in search of the first green jacket of his career.
DeChambeau is second in the LIV Golf standings behind Jon Rahm. But he enters Augusta National with back-to-back wins in Singapore and South Africa. As he heads into the first major of the golf season, DeChambeau is carrying something new in his bag.
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Bryson DeChambeau warms up on the driving range before a practice round ahead of the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., on April 7, 2026. (Ashley Landis/AP)
He will use a 5-iron made with a 3D printer. It’s a club he built himself.
“There’s this nature that I have about myself where innovation is a habit of mine, and I really find and take pride in that ability to learn — even through failure, even through making a bad decision or a good decision — what I can get from that,” he told ESPN.
“We’ll see where it goes. We’ll see where it takes me. All I could say now is, if I don’t put them in the bag, it’s my fault now.”
DeChambeau had manufacturing deals with LA Golf and Cobra. According to ESPN, his deal with Cobra ended in February.
Tinkering with his clubs isn’t a new strategy for DeChambeau. He said he had been tinkering with the idea of building his own clubs for a few years and tried a new wedge as he won in South Africa.
Bryson DeChambeau signs autographs during the Par 3 Contest at the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., on Apr. 8, 2026. (Michael Madrid/Imagn Images)
DeChambeau has had progressively better finishes at Augusta National since he made his first appearance in 2019. Since missing the cut in 2023, he finished tied for sixth in 2024 and tied for fifth in 2025. He missed the cut in 2022 and 2023.
“I feel like my game’s in the best place of its career, outside of maybe Greenbrier (in 2023) when I shot 58,” he said. “I’m excited to get the week going and see where I can put myself.”
He said his recent performances at the Masters were attributed to a more measured approach.
“More patience, like not as aggressive all the time. Knowing where to be aggressive and when not to be aggressive,” he said. “Making better decisions, having a caddie that reins me in sometimes.”
Bryson DeChambeau tees off on the third hole during a practice round for the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., on April 7, 2026. (Kyle Terada/Imagn Images)
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Real Madrid‘s Eduardo Camavinga and Liverpool‘s Alexis Mac Allister could swap clubs, while Manchester City have joined the race to sign 16-year-old Hertha Berlin defensive midfielder Kennet Eichhorn. Join us for the latest transfer news and rumors from around the globe.
Transfers home page | Men’s winter grades | Women’s grades
TRENDING RUMORS
– Real Madrid and Liverpool are working on deals for Eduardo Camavinga and Alexis Mac Allister to swap clubs, according to TEAMtalk. The Reds have been long-time admirers of Camavinga, while Los Blancos are planning a reshuffle in their midfield. The Spanish side are pushing to sign Manchester City‘s Rodri but also want another midfielder alongside the 29-year-old, with Chelsea‘s Enzo Fernández and Paris Saint-Germain‘s Vitinha being considered as well as Mac Allister.
– Manchester City have joined the race to sign 16-year-old Hertha Berlin defensive midfielder Kennet Eichhorn, says Fabrizio Romano. Eichhorn is considered one of the top young midfielders in Europe and has impressed in the German Bundesliga despite his age. City have made a habit of targeting young players in recent windows, with U.S. wonderkid Cavan Sullivan (when he turns 18 in 2027), Norway’s Sverre Nypan and Brazil defender Vitor Reis already signed as teenagers.
– AC Milan and Juventus are among the clubs keen to land Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski, as reported by Nicolo Schira. Both Serie A clubs are interested in bringing in the 37-year-old if he leaves the Blaugrana as a free agent this summer, but he has still not decided on his future. There have been no official offers yet, but there is genuine interest from Italy despite the Poland international’s high salary.
– Borussia Dortmund are weighing up another move to sign Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho, who is currently on loan at Aston Villa, says Bild. Sancho, 26, moved to Dortmund from Manchester City’s academy in 2017 and flourished before he was allowed to join Man United for €85 million in 2021. But after three loan moves (including back to Dortmund in 2024) he is set to leave the club on a free transfer in the summer. Dortmund are also watching Hoffenheim striker Fisnik Asllani but reportedly aren’t currently interested in Newcastle United‘s Nick Woltemade, and the club’s sporting director Lars Ricken said: “We are currently looking at a lot of players and analyzing them. We are assessing whether they can improve our team. We are doing the same with Jadon.”
– Chelsea are very impressed with the progress of Werder Bremen center back Karim Coulibaly and have entered the race to sign him this summer, as reported by Florian Plettenberg. Coulibaly, 18, is reportedly being scouted by various top clubs including Real Madrid, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Paris Saint-Germain and Napoli. Werder Bremen are hoping to bring in a fee of around €50 million from clubs looking to sign the Germany U21 international.
EXPERT TAKE
ESPN’s Madrid correspondent Alex Kirkland looks at Eduardo Camavinga’s future.
There’s no doubt that Camavinga’s future at Real Madrid is being questioned right now like never before. The midfielder — still just 23 — previously had persistent injuries as an excuse for not consolidating his place in Madrid’s starting XI since arriving in 2021. But this season, he has got plenty of opportunities (1,217 minutes in LaLiga, and 454 minutes in the Champions League) under both Xabi Alonso and Álvaro Arbeloa, and hasn’t made the most of them.
This Madrid team badly needs a player with many of Camavinga’s characteristics. But instead, at this crunch stage of the season, Arbeloa has opted for Arda Güler and young Thiago Pitarch in his midfield four alongside Aurelien Tchouameni and Fede Valverde. In Madrid’s Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Bayern Munich on Tuesday, Camavinga was an unused substitute. That came after Camavinga was singled out for criticism by many fans and the Madrid media for his role in Real Mallorca’s opening goal in the team’s 2-1 defeat in LaLiga last Saturday, when he failed to track goal scorer Manu Morlanes’ run from midfield, in a loss which came close to ruling Madrid out of the title race.
Camavinga has a long-term contract until 2029, so he’s also a player who, if Madrid do want to revamp the squad this summer after a disappointing campaign, could raise significant funds with a departure. The names mentioned here — Rodri, Mac Allister, Fernandez and Vitinha — have all been mentioned frequently as potential Madrid targets to bring some of the qualities this season’s midfield has lacked. ESPN has reported that Vitinha is the player Madrid like most, but signing him from PSG would be extremely difficult, while Fernandez’s contract until 2032 at Chelsea is another obstacle.
Mac Allister would be a more feasible target, with his Liverpool contract up in 2028, although it’s not yet clear how much the Premier League club would expect to receive in a transfer fee if they were to let him go, and swap deals very rarely materialize. But still, Camavinga’s future is definitely one to watch this summer.
OTHER RUMORS
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Burley: Arsenal were dull and boring vs Sporting CP
Craig Burley believes Arsenal were underwhelming and failed to impress despite their 1-0 win over Sporting CP.
– Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are in talks about the prospect of signing AFC Bournemouth center back Marcos Senesi. (Caught Offside)
– Everton are not expected to trigger the £50 million clause to permanently sign winger Jack Grealish from Manchester City but are confident they can reach an agreement for him to stay. (Athletic)
– Juventus and Atletico Madrid want to sign Ederson but Atalanta won’t lower their valuation of around €40 million for the midfielder. (Tuttosport)
– West Ham United have no interest in letting midfielder Mateus Fernandes leave despite concrete interest from Manchester United and others. (TEAMtalk)
– Arsenal are stepping up their interest in signing a center back as they look at Real Madrid’s Victor Valdepenas and Como’s Jacobo Ramon. (Caught Offside)
– Central defender Gleison Bremer could leave Juventus in the summer, with Tottenham Hotspur interested. (Gazzetta dello Sport)
– Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Garcia has emerged as a serious option for Newcastle United as they look to sign a striker. (TEAMtalk)
– Tottenham Hotspur are pushing to sign Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford. (TEAMtalk)
– Aston Villa have set their sights on a deal to sign West Ham United winger Crysencio Summerville in the summer. (Football Insider)
– Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel is more likely to move to Newcastle United than he is to join Chelsea. (Football Insider)
– AC Milan are willing to offer Leon Goretzka a three-year contract worth at least €5 million-per-season, as they aim to beat off competition to sign the Bayern Munich midfielder as a free agent this summer. (Gazzetta dello Sport)
– There is a three-way race between Napoli, AC Milan and Roma for Kerim Alajbegovic, who has been re-signed by Bayer Leverkusen from RB Salzburg. (Calciomercato)
– Napoli have put Benfica’s Richard Rios at the top of the list of players to strengthen their midfield, but no official offer has been submitted yet. (Sky Italia)
– Nottingham Forest are hopeful they can sign Internazionale midfielder Davide Frattesi for under the €40 million agreed in January. (Football Insider)
– Freiburg are interested in Leeds United midfielder Ao Tanaka, but he is leaning towards a move in the Premier League. (Florian Plettenberg)
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Gab Marcotti
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Gab Marcotti
Senior Writer, ESPN FC
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Sam Tighe
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Sam Tighe
ESPN
- Sam is a writer, broadcaster and podcaster for ESPN. He will write on the Premier League, scouting and transfers.
Multiple Authors
The UEFA Champions League quarterfinals kicked off this week, and with it came plenty of drama to unpack, so let’s review.
On Tuesday, Arsenal muddled their way to a 1-0 win at Sporting CP thanks to an injury-time goal, while Real Madrid and Bayern Munich traded punches and shots for 90 minutes, albeit with the Bavarian side holding a 2-1 first-leg lead to take back with them to the Allianz Arena.
On Wednesday night, Barcelona succumbed to Diego Simeone’s trap and lost 2-0 at home, with Pedri coming off injured (or was it a precaution?) and defender Pau Cubarsí receiving a red card late in the first half. Meanwhile in France, Paris Saint-Germain had umpteen chances to decimate a wobbly Liverpool team low on confidence and form, but had to settle for a 2-0 first-leg lead ahead of the return at Anfield next week.
So, what to make of it all? ESPN FC writers Mark Ogden, Gab Marcotti, Julien Laurens and Sam Tighe are here to break down the action as it happened and look ahead to next week’s second legs.
– Kirkland: Real Madrid believe they can beat Bayern. Are they right?
– Ogden: Wasteful PSG leave door open for Liverpool in UCL
– VAR Review: Was Cubarsi’s red card deserved?
Q1. Does PSG’s 2-0 win over Liverpool say more about the Parisians or Arne Slot? The Reds tried a drastic formation change and created nothing, with the entire thing seeming like it was just a matter of time until Luis Enrique’s side blew the doors off the visitors’ desperate rearguard. It might well be the worst Liverpool performance under Slot, too …
Tighe: Realistically, Liverpool felt doomed in this match before a ball was kicked. A team this fragile, this flawed and this leaky late on in games cannot be expected to go to the Parc des Princes and pull out a result. Slot seemed acutely aware that the usual plan would not work, so he changed it up and fielded three center backs in a 5-2-1-2-esque shape.
It seemed like the intention was to prevent PSG completely taking over by using wide combinations while utilising Dominik Szoboszlai‘s energy in support of the attack, but the consequence of the shape change was that Vitinha and Co. had all the time in the world to run the game from central positions, where Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister seriously toiled. I’m not sure we learned anything about the Reds (except that Alexander Isak is fit again), but we did have it confirmed that PSG, the reigning European champions, are humming at just the right time of the season.
Marcotti: We can keep blaming Slot for everything and sure, trying to surprise PSG with a formation you’ve never played or trained before seems silly with the benefit of hindsight. But what’s the alternative? Doing nothing, trying to play them straight up and getting hammered? They did that at Manchester City in the FA Cup just a few days ago.
The main issue I have with Slot is waiting until 12 minutes from time and then making a quadruple substitution (and none of the subs being Mohamed Salah). And then being lucky the final score was 2-0, rather than being four or five down. Do we want to blame him for the fact that Liverpool’s first shot on goal of any kind came four minutes into the second half? OK, fine. Go ahead that’s all his fault too and not down to the recruitment. The fact of the matter is that Liverpool are still in this tie at 2-0 down, so he can hang his hat on that. He may not be a genius but making this all about him and his shortcomings isn’t fair.
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Nicol: PSG could’ve put six past Liverpool
Steve Nicol says Liverpool will be thankful to be just two goals down heading into the second leg against PSG at Anfield.
Ogden: Liverpool are absolutely still in this tie and Luis Enrique should be furious about that. He seemed quite relaxed about it during his postmatch news conference, but PSG should have won by five or six and their failure to do so might come back to haunt them at Anfield. PSG were so dominant that they started with the tricks and the flicks and that’s why Luis Enrique should be angry with his players. Just get the job done and then play around.
Maybe the PSG boss’ sanguine reaction was because he knows that this Liverpool side are beginning to stink the place out and a group of players who perform so poorly are unlikely to flick a switch and turn it on so much that they salvage the tie at Anfield. Slot tried a new formation because he has no legs in midfield and his forwards don’t work hard enough. It didn’t work in Paris and Liverpool are unlikely to turn it around next week, but they still have a chance and that’s pretty much all Slot was hoping for.
Laurens: PSG did what they have been doing at their best for over a year now. So, we have to look at Slot and the mess that he made again on Wednesday. His back five was total nonsense, he encouraged his team to just defend (only three shots, none on target and 0.18xG) and the players — who have been poor all season long (and that’s not just on Slot) — looked lost.
Speaking of lost, feels to me that Slot has lost the team. Look at the expressions of Florian Wirtz and Szoboszlai when they were subbed off. Look at Salah’s face on the bench once he realised he was not coming on. The issues at the club are more than just the manager, but he is not helping himself or his team either. He has been struggling all season to find the right formula to fix the Reds’ issues, and he has failed to find a solution so far. Liverpool should have lost 5-0 in Paris and were lucky to escape with a lesser scoreline. That’s not Liverpool we know.
Q2. Real Madrid and Bayern offered up an entertaining first leg that saw 40 combined shots and 4.96 xG between the two sides. In the end, was it the goalkeeping that made the difference? Manuel Neuer really turned back the clock with a stunning performance to deny Kylian Mbappé time and time again, while Andriy Lunin arguably could have done better. Or was it something else?
Laurens: We have known since the start of the season that Real Madrid had to avoid two specific players getting seriously injured because of how losing either or both could derail their season. The first one was Mbappé, and the second one was Thibaut Courtois. Without the Frenchman, the Merengues did manage to stay on track, but not having the Belgian for a game of this magnitude was a massive blow, and Madrid paid for it.
Lunin is a good backup keeper, but he’s not good enough to win you games (or prevent you from losing) like Neuer can be — and like he was on Tuesday night at the Bernabéu. Courtois would likely not have conceded Harry Kane‘s goal, and it’s fair to say he certainly would have made the hosts’ defence stronger. For Neuer, at 40, it’s another proof that he is one of the greatest keepers of all time. SC Freiburg in the Bundesliga doesn’t interest him so much anymore. Give him Real Madrid under the lights in the Champions League and he is your guy!
Marcotti: The goalkeeping was a big part of the story, sure. Juls is right: there’s no way Courtois concedes that goal to Kane, while two of the three saves Neuer made off Mbappé were truly special. Even if you’re not a Neuer fan, you have to appreciate that given his injuries, given he’s now 40 and given what happened last time he played at the Bernabéu, when Joselu scored twice.
That said, I think an equally bigger part of the story is Bayern’s failure to hang on to a two-goal lead. They absolutely battered Real Madrid in the first half and, I think, should have been more than just a goal up. Then, at 2-0, with the fans freaking out and Madrid boss Alvaro Arbeloa making tweaks, you have to see the game out. There’s a huge difference in coming back from two goals down on the road compared to one goal. You can’t give up that many chances. The only mitigating factor, I guess, is the Bernabéu and the old trope by which time seems to magically turn more slowly when Real Madrid need to come from behind. But this is Bayern, surely “stage fright” shouldn’t be a thing?
1:24
Will Bayern Munich pay for missed chances against Real Madrid?
Frank Leboeuf believes Bayern Munich’s “sloppiness” allowed Real Madrid back into the game.
Ogden: I think Neuer reminded us all in the Bernabéu that it really matters to have a world-class goalkeeper. Madrid were without theirs and ended up on the losing side, largely because of Neuer’s heroics and Lunin’s less inspiring performance. And who knows? Maybe PSG will miss out on back-to-back Champions League triumphs because they offloaded Gianluigi Donnarumma and ended up with two keepers who aren’t as good as the Italy No. 1, even if you put them both in goal at the same time.
There’s no doubt that Neuer has given Bayern a huge advantage going into the second leg, but it’s still too close to call. If Real turn up with Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham on their game next week, they can easily turn this tie around and make it to the semifinals. Maybe it will come down to which goalkeeper performs best again.
Tighe: I’m glad you mentioned Bayern’s dominance on the night, Gab. If you missed the game and judged it by either the highlight reel or the stats sheet — where Madrid equalled Bayern’s 20 shots, got one more (nine) on target and created one more big chance (four) — you’d think this was an even game. For the most part, it was not.
But those last 15 minutes — that felt like anyone’s game. It’s perhaps not that Bayern could not control proceedings and more that they didn’t seem interested in doing so, or that Bellingham made such a difference in midfield that Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlovic suddenly couldn’t cope. That’s when Neuer became especially critical.
It seems like a ropey tactic given the 40-year-old’s form has been seriously indifferent this term — unlike, say, that of Courtois, whom you can feel comfortable leaning on. But it looks like this Bayern team are going to attack, attack, attack their way to attempted Champions League glory, so Neuer might need a few more big nights yet.
Q3. Arsenal wobbled again Tuesday night in Lisbon, putting up subpar attacking stats and taking a narrow 1-0 first leg lead back to the Emirates thanks to Kai Havertz‘s injury-time goal. It wasn’t a classic match, but David Raya (continuing the goalkeeper theme) and Mikel Arteta’s subs changed the game. Can we still consider Arsenal a favorite in this competition considering their underwhelming play of late?
Marcotti: You said a favorite, right? Considering they’re 1-0 up before the home leg, which bodes well for the semifinal, sure, you have to say they’re a favorite, but I think — and not for the first time — that we’ve seen Arsenal’s limits against well-organized opponents. Solidity, intensity and set-pieces only take you so far.
Against Sporting, they missed Bukayo Saka and the “real” Martin Ødegaard, but neither has been a big contributor this year. Injuries are a part of it, but I think there’s also a conscious choice in taking a more defensive approach from Arteta that has hampered their output. Maybe it was the right choice in terms of giving Arsenal the best possible shot to win the Premier League, but in a two-legged format deep in the Champions League, it can limit what you do.
As for Raya, he’s been immense most of the season. I imagine most people will have Gabriel Magalhães, Declan Rice or William Saliba ahead of him as Arsenal’s Player of the Year, but Raya should be right up there.
Laurens: I’m not sure why people are surprised or disappointed by the current level and style of this Arsenal side. Their identity is not free-flowing, attacking football. They are capable of great performances and have done so many times this season (against Bayern, for example), but when you are without four starters (Saka, Eberechi Eze, Piero Hincapié, Jurriën Timber), it’s harder. Arsenal, however, are also a team drilled for control; they’re arguably the best team tactically in the world right now, the most physical side, and the strongest team out of possession — where structure comes first, before any rotations or permutations. That’s why they are so good.
So of course they are still a favorite to win this competition. Nobody would want to face them in the next round, especially as they are guaranteed to play the semifinal second leg at home if they qualify.
1:10
Burley: Arsenal were dull and boring vs Sporting CP
Craig Burley believes Arsenal were underwhelming and failed to impress despite their 1-0 win over Sporting CP.
Ogden: Arsenal are still a favorite because of the way they play. Against Sporting, although the home side played the best football, created the better patterns and had the best chances, it was Arsenal who dominated every physical element of the game. It’s quite depressing to watch at times because there is a real chance that Arsenal could bully their way to Champions League glory and nobody wants that, do they? OK, every Arsenal supporter wants that, but there is no fantasy with this team. It’s all about muscle.
I think Juls is going a bit heavy with the praise, though: are they the best team tactically in the world? I’m not so sure about that, and they don’t control games like PSG control them. But ultimately, the game is about winning, and Arsenal have found a way to do that consistently in the Champions League. They might meet their match if they face Atlético in the semis — that won’t be a game for the purists — but Arsenal are what they are and nobody at the Emirates should apologise for that.
Tighe: Arsenal’s style (or lack of it, depending on who you talk to) doesn’t change my opinion on their Champions League prospects. What does spook me a little is what looks like a drop in confidence levels. At this stage of the tournament, any team that’s positioning themselves as a true favorite should feel like they’re hitting top gear, playing with the utmost confidence in themselves and each other — no matter how that looks stylistically.
Can we say Arsenal are hitting that brief? I’d argue no — or at least not in the same way Bayern have found another level, or PSG seem to be clicking into gear. Very soon there will be just four teams left and if Arsenal are one of them, it’s likely they’ll be third, at best, in my mini ranking of likely winners.
Q4. Hansi Flick and Barça won both LaLiga games against Atleti, but the cup competitions have proved much more the latter’s speed as Flick’s insistence on always pushing for goals plays into Diego Simeone’s strengths. Was the Cubarsi red card legit? And will Atleti rue only taking a 2-0 lead back home with them to defend next week?
Marcotti: No, I think Simeone will be happy with the 2-0 all told. But the interesting thing is how both coaches were pretty counterintuitive at halftime. Cubarsi had just been sent off (and, yes, it was the correct decision in my view) and moving Eric García (who was outstanding, by the way, not often I say that) into the back made sense, but it was surprising to see Pedri come off for Gavi. (Fermín López for Robert Lewandowski was a no-brainer).
Even more surprising was how Barcelona went for it, as if they had to get a result that very night. Conventional wisdom would have suggested being more conservative, perhaps picking some spots on the counter and trusting yourself to turn around the 1-0 deficit in the return leg. But Flick did things his way: Barça had 60% possession and 0.61 xG after the break, despite being a man down. His game plan — except for that Alexander Sørloth moment — worked.
As for Atleti, they were really rattled by Barça’s press. The obvious thing would have been to go for it, to push not just for 2-0, but even more. Instead, they managed just a single shot. I guess 2-0 is better than 1-0, but I’d still be super nervous for the return leg. At one point, Lamine Yamal dribbled past eight opponents, which says a lot about the night he was having. Maybe that’s why Atleti chickened out.
Tighe: Simeone dare not rue “only” being 2-0 up at the halfway point in this tie. After all, his team took one solitary shot in the second half, despite playing against 10 men the entire time. They suffered out of possession and against the press despite the man advantage and generally looked the weaker side in that second period. Yamal’s performance was breathtaking at times, giving Michael Olise a proper run for his money as the round’s best right winger. Some of the jinks into the box, dancing around one, two, three defenders, were simply magnificent. Atleti felt fortunate to come out having not conceded at least once to him alone.
This tie still feels very much alive to me — especially when you consider Atlético will be forced to field a patchwork defence in the second leg, given Marc Pubill is suspended, Dávid Hancko came off injured and Jose Gimenez is perennially hurt.
1:45
Was Pau Cubarsi’s red card vs. Atletico the right call?
Frank Leboeuf and Stewart Robson debate the decision to hand Barcelona’s Pau Cubarsi a red card in their first leg defeat to Atletico Madrid.
Ogden: Sorry Gab, but the Cubarsi red card was a joke. Giuliano Simeone‘s flailing leg was designed to make contact with Cubarsi as the Barcelona player approached him — he isn’t the first Simeone to flick a leg out and get an opponent sent off, but let’s not rage on about a red card back in 1998 — and it ended up with a dismissal that totally the turned the game in Atleti’s favour.
A 2-0 advantage is by no means a tie-winning lead, though, and Barcelona will almost certainly score a couple in the Metropolitano. The big question is how many they will concede and that, unfortunately, is the question that continues to haunt Barça in the Champions League and why they probably won’t win the competition, even if they get through next week.
Laurens: Flick stayed true to himself by wanting his team to keep attacking. He is not a conservative manager, so I don’t really understand Gab’s point here. Even with 10 men, Barcelona could only keep playing and attacking. Why would they do anything different? They could have come back in the game. They just got Simeone-ed by Atlético’s minimalist approach in the second half despite playing with an extra player.
However, this tie is not over. If Atlético can win 2-0 at the Camp Nou, Barcelona and Yamal can also win 2-0 at the Metropolitano. The second leg could be epic, especially considering, as Sam says, Atleti’s defensive issues.
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