Aston Villa vs Liverpool LIVE: Salah eyes Ronaldo record as Reds look to extend lead at top, Rashford to make first start

Friday, February 14

Saturday, February 15

Sunday, February 16

Wednesday, February 19

Team news!

The lineups are in at Villa Park.

Marcus Rashford makes his first start for Aston Villa, joining Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins in a strong attack.

Mohamed Salah is also included from the off, with Arne Slot naming four midfielders in his starting XI.

Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Garcia, Disasi, Mings, Digne, Asensio, Tielemans, McGinn, Rashford, Rogers, Watkins

Subs: Olsen, Zych, Cash, Bogarde, Maatsen, Malen, Ramsey, Jimoh-Aloba

Liverpool XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Jones, Szoboszlai, Jota, Salah

Subs: Kelleher, Endo, Diaz, Nunez, Chiesa, Elliott, Tsimikas, Quansah, Bradley

Injury blow

West Ham fear Lucas Paqueta will be out for at least a month due to an ankle injury suffered in training, talkSPORT understands.

The Brazilian midfielder underwent a scan today.

Paqueta played the entirety of West Ham's 1-0 defeat to Brentford on Saturday.

However, he looks set to be sidelined during a crucial run of fixtures for Graham Potter's side, who are 16th in the Premier League,

Paqueta is due to miss their trip to Arsenal on Saturday as well as clashes against Leicester City, Newcastle United and Everton.

History beckons

Mohamed Salah could eclipse Cristiano Ronaldo in Liverpool's clash against Aston Villa.

Salah sits on an incredible 23 goals and 14 assists in the Premier League this season across 25 appearances.

His combined goal contribution total of 37 is the same as Ronaldo's best ever tally in the league.

The Portuguese legend achieved it in the 2007/08 campaign with Manchester United.

However, Salah will go one better than him with a goal or assist against Villa and do so with three months of the season to go.

A tough trip

Arne Slot knows that this evening's away meeting with Aston Villa is going to be a very tough one.

Speaking ahead of the game, the Liverpool boss said: "I think Villa away, when you get the fixture list, you all know that Villa away is one of the tougher ones you can face.

"But last season was also a very interesting game with it ending 3-3, if I remember correctly. So, [a] very good manager, always has a very good game plan.

"They brought in quite a lot of good players in the winter break as well and they already had a very good team.

"They qualified for [the] top eight in the Champions League, so it tells you that it's a strong team we are going to face.

"But that's what I started with, Wolves at home was also tough for us, so every game in this period of time for every team in the league is difficult."

Heading to Nottingham

It has now been confirmed that England will be playing one of their World Cup 2026 qualifiers at the City Ground.

The home of Nottingham Forest will be used as the venue for the Three Lions' clash with Senegal.

It will be the first time that the national team have played at the stadium in 84 years.

In 1941, England's senior men's team faced Wales in a wartime friendly and that was the last time the City Ground played host.

In fact, when it comes to competitive Three Lions senior men’s games, this will be the first at the ground since March 1909.

Thomas Tuchel's side are going to be in Nottingham on Tuesday, June 10 for their clash against the African outfit.

Manager Tuchel said: “While I know Wembley is our home, I also understand the importance of taking the team around the country when we are able to and the opportunity to experience playing at a famous old English stadium such as the City Ground is one we can all look forward to.”

In case you missed it...

Mohamed Salah will be in action this evening when Liverpool take on Aston Villa at Villa Park.

But it was revealed yesterday by former Tottenham and Wigan striker Mido that Salah has received a massive contract proposal from Saudi Arabia.

The Liverpool star's contract at Anfield expires in the summer, with no sign of a new deal on the horizon.

That means in just over three months, he will be a free agent, and a move to the Middle East is on the cards.

Speaking on talkSPORT Breakfast, Mido said: "I know that he's got a huge offer from the Saudi league, but I really think that Salah wants to stay at Liverpool.

"Every time I hear him talking, and the way he's playing of course, I think he wants to make history at Liverpool.

"He has already made history at Liverpool. I think he's one of the best players that ever wore the shirt and I really feel he should stay at Liverpool.

"The fans of course love him. He's a fan's favorite so I don't have any news. But if he stays at Liverpool I will be very happy for him of course."

Hammer the point

Tony Cottee has shared his views on talkSPORT on what he believes to be the main problem at West Ham this season.

“The problem is, I think there’s a wider mess, I mean there’s a lot of issues with the fans and the board, they’re not happy with the board,” he said.

“But that’s ongoing unless someone unbelievably produces a billion quid or whatever it is to buy the club out, that won’t happen in the next few years.

“They’ve got to get on with that, all Graham [Potter] can do is concentrate on the playing side.”

Fit for a King

Ruud van Nistelrooy has promoted Andy King to his first-team coaching staff amid the club’s fight for Premier League survival.

The Foxes 2016 title winner only returned to the club two months ago to take up his first role in coaching as an U18s assistant.

However, he will link up with Van Nistelrooy and the senior City squad as one of the six people working alongside the Dutchman.

King will now be coaching several players he played alongside during his 15-year career at the King Power Stadium, including Jamie Vardy.

Van Nistelrooy said: “In December, in one of my press conferences, I spoke about him having Leicester DNA. I have got to know him and now I have asked him to be part of the first-team coaching staff.

"He liked it, we all did, the players do. I’m very happy he’s helping us out. He has a real knowledge of the club and football.

“What impressed me most is his eye for the team and for details of the game. That’s where we connected. He’s very bright in his ideas in how to bring Leicester forward. He’s a great addition.

“He’s out there every day on the training pitch. It can be full group sessions or individual sessions. He’s also linking with the academy players, like Jeremy Monga and Jake Evans, making sure they’re not caught in the middle. He’s also giving his opinions.”

Untangled Webb

Howard Webb admitted it was ultimately wrong for Myles Lewis-Skelly to be sent off against Wolves - but has defended referee Michael Oliver's decision.

The head of the PGMOL told his Mic'd Up show: "From the outset, I want to say we would prefer a yellow card in this situation. Clearly, the referee felt that the actions of Myles Lewis-Skelly were serious foul play.

"He saw a player moving in towards an opponent without any ability to play the ball, without any intention of playing the ball, with the intention of stopping the opponent. And the referee sees a raised foot make high contact and then the opponent go down.

"So in his opinion, it was serious foul play. The VAR checked the footage to see whether that decision was clearly and obviously wrong and determined that it wasn't, seeing that contact that was quite high on the leg.

"But, of course, we know that for serious foul play we need excessive force or brutality. And what we see here is that high contact glancing and coming off the leg quite quickly.

"So for that reason, everybody pretty much in the game has formed the same conclusion that we now form, that this is falling short of serious foul play because of that glancing contact. Because the studs don't really go right into the leg, they glance it before coming down on to the foot."

Look no further

Former Premier League star Ademola Lookman blasted his manager's 'deeply disrespectful' comments following his missed penalty in Atalanta's defeat to Club Brugge.

Lookman had his spot-kick in the 61st minute saved by Simon Mignolet as the Italians were knocked out of the Champions League in a 5-2 aggregate defeat.

Following the loss, Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini claimed the ex-Leicester and Fulham star 'wasn't supposed to take the penalty'.

He even described the Nigerian as 'one of the worst penalty takers I've ever seen' in a brutal takedown.

That's despite Lookman missing only two attempts from 12 yards since 2020 and burying his previous four penalty efforts since joining Atalanta in 2022.

"It saddens me on a day like this to have to write this statement - most of all because of what we achieved together as a team and as a city," Lookman wrote on X.

"Being singled out in the manner I have been not only hurts but feels deeply disrespectful, not least because of the immense hard work and commitment I have always put in each and every day to help bring success to this club and to the incredible fans of Bergamo.

"In truth, I have dealt with many difficult moments during my time here - the majority of which I have never spoken about because in my opinion the team must always be protected and must come first. This makes what happened last night even more hurtful.

"Along with our incredible fans, we as a team are hurting too much with last night's result. During the match the designated penalty taker instructed me to take the penalty; and to support the team I took responsibility in the moment to do so.

"Life's about challenges and turning pain into power which I'll continue to do."

Gior dropping

Giorgi Mamardashvili might not be impressing Liverpool fans keeping a key eye on his services as his struggles at Valencia continue.

The Georgian goalkeeper was one of just two signings Arne Slot made upon his Anfield arrival last summer alongside Federico Chiesa.

Liverpool signed the Euro 2024 star for around £26million and immediately loaned him back to Valencia for the current campaign.

The 24-year-old made a name for himself at Euro 2024, impressing as Georgia reached the round of 16 in their first ever major tournament.

Mamardashvili played a key role in Germany, ending the group stage having made 20 saves - seven more than any other goalkeeper - including 11 in a 1-1 draw against Czechia, for which he was awarded the Player of the Match award.

However, he has managed just five clean sheets en route to letting in 28 goals in 20 La Liga appearances this term, with Valencia languishing in the relegation zone.

Mamardashvili is statistically one of the worst goalkeepers in La Liga this season with the 2nd lowest save percentage with 61.5 per cent.

That is just 0.4 percent higher than much-maligned former Liverpool goalkeeper Adrian, albeit the 38-year-old has played far few matches at Real Betis.

In contrast, Alisson Becker is at 71.2 per cent in his 17 Premier League appearances, with Caoimhín Kelleher, the man shown the exit door by Mamardashvili's imminent transfer, at 71 per cent from his eight top-flight showings.

Erik Ten Million

Erik ten Hag's sacking at Manchester United cost the club a fortune - with the club publishing their Q2 fiscal report today.

The Dutchman was dismissed by United at the end of October following a run of just one win in eight matches in all competitions.

Man United have confirmed that there total operating expenses for the second quarter of 2024 were £196.4million.

Exceptional items for that period were a cost of £14.5m, relating to costs associated with sacking Ten Hag and various members of staff.

Ten Hag, who agreed to extend his contract at the club until 2026 in the summer, won two trophies during his spell at Old Trafford.

He delivered FA Cup and Carabao Cup success, but a dismal start to the season was enough for United to move for Ruben Amorim.

Antony: 'Every day I wake with a smile'

Manchester United flop Antony has shared the secret behind his remarkable return to form out on loan at Real Betis.

The Brazilian was the most expensive signing under former Man United manager Erik ten Hag at £85million, and the second on the club's all time list behind Paul Pogba.

A goal on his debut against Arsenal in September 2022 proved to be a huge false dawn for the winger.

He went on to manage just 11 more with only five assists from 96 appearances and was left out in the cold by Ruben Amorim.

In 2023/24, it took Antony until his 23rd outing in all competitions to end a 31-game goal drought - which came against Newport.

In the Premier League, he finished with only a single goal and assist from 29 appearances and even had to deputise as a left-back.

His only goal in the 2024/25 campaign for United before joining Betis last month was a penalty scored in a 7-0 victory over League One side Barnsley in the Carabao Cup.

However, Antony has hit the ground running in Spain - bagging three goals and one assist in just four games since joining the La Liga side.

“The most important thing is that I have found myself again. I am happy to be enjoying myself every day. Things go well when we are happy, content,” he told Spanish outlet AS.

“I was playing little, but I have been working a lot. I needed to be happy with myself. The best version of being happy with myself is the most important thing. I played very little in Manchester, but I am grateful to them and also to the coach, who spoke to me.

“I have also done very well in Manchester; I won two titles, and I am very grateful. But when I say that here, I have found myself, happiness, the people are like us in Brazil. The sun helps a lot.

"I am very happy here. Every day I wake up with a smile and that is very important.”

Rash decision

Former Manchester United defender Raphael Varane has admitted he was surprised his former teammate Marcus Rashford ended up at Aston Villa.

"Staying for so many years with this level of intensity and demand, years when the overall atmosphere is often negative because performances are below expectations…it's very, very difficult," Varane told The Athletic.

"For him to change his environment is positive.

"He is someone who loves the club and who gives everything for the shirt, but I'm surprised he's going [to a club] so close to Manchester.

"I imagined him going further than a few kilometres away."

Var-cical

Raphaël Varane admitted he was surprised by Manchester United's hierarchy's decision to offer Erik ten Hag a new contract last summer.

"I was surprised he stayed," Varane said in an interview with The Athletic. "The connection with the group no longer existed."

The retired World Cup winner was first-choice centre-back in Ten Hag's first season at the club.

However, their relationship became strained when he found himself relegated to a bench role for a lot of the following campaign.

"We had a robust discussion. We told each other some truths, but then I didn't play for almost two months. I said I didn't agree with certain ways of doing things regarding the relationship between him and the team," he added.

"It wasn't something that I thought was good for the team because some of the players weren't at all satisfied. It was not good in terms of the relationship with the coach.

"He said 'OK, I hear what you said' and after that I didn't play."

Transfer notebook

Cash-strapped Manchester United could be set for a much-needed multi-million pound windfall – thanks to former striker Mason Greenwood.

That's from talkSPORT's chief football correspondent Alex Crook.

Greenwood has been banging in goals for fun since leaving Man United to join Roberto de Zerbi’s Marseille last summer.

The ex-England international’s hot streak of 14 goals in 22 games for the French outfit has alerted some of Europe’s biggest clubs, including the likes of PSG and Barcelona.

When United traded Greenwood with Marseille for £26.6miliion they insisted on an unusually high 50 per cent sell-on clause.

With the 23-year-old now valued at around £60m, that means United would bank in the region of £16.5m from any sale.

At a time when Sir Jim Ratcliffe is cutting costs to raise vital transfer funds, that money would come in very handy for struggling boss Ruben Amorim.

Omar days

Omar Marmoush is the future of Manchester City - he's only going to get better.

That is the view of Tottenham cult hero Mido, who has likened the Egyptian forward to his former teammate Jermain Defoe.

He told talkSPORT Breakfast: "I'm not surprised with his ethic from last weekend, I know him very well.

"I know that he is brave and has got the character to compete at the highest level, the boy has got quality.

"I gave him his debut [at Wadi Degla] when I was coaching him, he's a top talent, a top player.

"It's a great investment for Manchester City, he's the right age now. I always believe - especially for a striker and attacking players - 26 or 27 is the best age to find a player.

"Because this is the time when you get into your peak of your career, he's a top striker, he can play as a winger as well.

"He's very clever to get into the right movement with the right timing, and I think when the City team gets better and plays better, he will score more goals."

Surgery complete

Takehiro Tomiyasu is the latest Arsenal star to undergo surgery with the defender seemingly ruled out for the rest of the season.

The 26-year-old's time in north London has been blighted by several injuries since joining from Bologna in 2021.

There has been much confusion surrounding the severity of Tomiyasu's latest issue and whether he would return during the second half of this campaign.

But he has now broken his silence regarding his issue, where he has stated he has gone under the knife in an attempt to end his injury nightmare.

Sharing an image of himself post-surgery on crutches on Instagram, he said: "I’ve had a surgery on my knee few days ago.

"I’ve already started my rehab to do what I love the most again.

"It has been the toughest period in my career for sure and it carries on a bit more but I won’t give up.

"Thank you for your support and see you again."

Heartbreak

Celtic suffer heartbreak.

Bayern have won the tie in the dying moments.

And it's such an unlucky goal to concede after Kasper Schmeichel makes yet another stunning save.

The rebound falls to Alphonso Davies who bundles the ball home with almost the last kick of the game.

Delirium amongst the Bayern support but all the hard work done by Celtic comes undone at the death.

The full-time whistle has now blown and the German giants win 3-2 on aggregate, claiming a 1-1 draw on the night.

Time ticking

We could be heading for extra time here...

Celtic are doing so well against Bayern, getting their goal and now sitting deep as the hosts press.

Leroy Sane has just come so close to an equaliser.

A goal from either side in the final 15 minutes will surely send them through to the Champions League last 16.

Bayern haven't lost a home Champions League game that was goalless at half time since a 0-1 loss to Juventus in November 2004, going unbeaten in 24 such matches since then.

They've never lost at home to a Scottish team at all.

So, Celtic are closing in on history this evening, even if they don't end up going through.

GOAL! Bayern 0-1 (2-2) Celtic: Nicolas-Gerrit Kuhn

THIS IS A HUGE GOAL! CELTIC LEAD!

Daizen Maeda nips in to steal the ball high up and he slots Nicolas-Gerrit Kuhn through in the box.

He takes one touch and bundles through a tackle before finishing past Manuel Neuer.

That brings Celtic level on aggregate at the Allianz! Wow!

Could they pull off an incredible comeback?

History maker

Ademola Lookman has joined the record books.

After coming on for Mario Pasalic at half time in Atalanta's with Club Brugge, Lookman scored in just 34 seconds.

That is now the fastest goal by a substitute from the start of the second half in UEFA Champions League history.

The Nigerian has now scored five goals in seven Champions League games this season, as his incredible rise continues.

And the historic goal could start a comeback, but Atalanta have to pull off an incredible feat to remain in Europe.

It's 5-2 to Club Brugge on aggregate with half an hour left.

Kane injured?

It's an early substitution for Harry Kane.

The England captain has been substituted at half time at the Allianz in what is a boost for Celtic.

He went into this game carrying a knock from the weekend but he was deemed to be fit enough to start.

However, Kane has now been taken off at the break.

It's unclear whether his injury has flared up again or whether it's a tactical move as Kingsley Coman takes his place.

That's a blow to Bayern's chances of extending their lead over Celtic, with the aggregate score still at 2-1.

'We just killed ourselves'

It's half-time in tonight's games with Bayern level at 0-0 with Celtic and Benfica drawing with Monaco.

Club Brugge are beating Atalanta 3-0, meaning the Belgians, Bayern and Benfica are heading through as things stand.

AC Milan were knocked out earlier this evening and their senior advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic wasn't happy.

He blamed the team as well as taking aim at officials for sending Theo Hernandez off for diving in the second half.

Ibrahimovic said post-match: “Feyenoord were not better than us, we just killed ourselves.

“We are disappointed, the referee has been severe with Theo Hernández with no warning before the red card…

"Theo is not an actor, he does his best."

Underway!

The rest of tonight's Champions League games are underway.

It's bouncing at the Allianz as Bayern look to send Celtic home.

Celtic (28y 40d) have named their oldest starting XI for a game in this competition since a 1-0 win against Manchester United at Celtic Park back in November 2006 (28y 272d).

Can they overcome Harry Kane and Bayern?

Elsewhere, Atalanta are facing Club Brugge and Benfica are up against Sporting Lisbon in their second legs.