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Daily Premier League in English: Episode 92 - Liverpool OUT of the Champions League and Villa and Arsenal fly the flag tonight
13 Plays21 days ago
Marcus and Nick dissect the incredible Liverpool vs PSG game at Anfield AND discuss what it means for English Premier League clubs battling for European places for next season.
Also, a look ahead to tonight's fixtures at Villa Park and the Emirates as Aston Villa take a 3-1 advantage into their tie with Club Brugge and Arsenal carry a 7-1 lead into their game against PSV Eindhoven
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Transcript
Liverpool vs PSG: An Unexpected Outcome
00:00:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Welcome back to the daily English Premier League Global Sports Podcast Network show. ah Give me a moment whilst I wipe away my tears and pull my heart out of my throat. I'm Marcus Rantor. I'm joined by Nick Bird.
00:01:00
Nick
Happy to be here. I can barely keep the smile off my face. What an evening of football.
00:01:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, my word. um So in case you've you've been under a rock and this is your first experience of this, ah Liverpool are out of the Champions League following defeat Anfield, to Paris Saint-Germain and then defeat from the penalty spot. Four penalties to one, four cracking penalties from PSG actually.
00:01:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
um what What a game. ah ah a kind of Last week, I looked at the fixture and I thought, oh, I wonder if we've seen the best of the Champions League.
00:01:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
i is this is this like This is like the final already in the round of 16. Hopefully, there's still some great games to come. But um yeah, i I couldn't cope with with the last 120 minutes plus penalties and the 90 before.
00:01:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Nick, how did you find that one apart from ah seeing Liverpool go out?
00:01:59
Nick
It was just a incredibly entertaining. It's a exactly what you want Champions League knockout games to be. And it didn't even feel like there was loads and loads of chances. And it was still so entertaining.
00:02:12
Nick
I was just looking at the stats and they had 40 shots between them. but And it really didn't feel like that. But it was so, so entertaining. and
00:02:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, and I think you know the amount of times Douay came like inches away um from from scoring absolute worldies. In fact, Kovacchalia was a bit more quiet today, but um by no means were the Paris Saint-Germain attack lacking.
00:02:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah However, it was it was pretty much all Liverpool for most of the game.
00:02:48
Nick
Yeah, especially that first 15 minutes, it would the press was suffocating. i There's a relatively famous tweet on Arsenal Twitter where it's from a game where Liverpool are pressing Arsenal so much. Someone goes, I'm suffocating so much, I've just opened my own window from the Liverpool press.
00:03:07
Nick
And I was thinking, it's all like that again for PSG. But credit to them, they stuck through it. They continued to play short when they needed to, and they did it successfully. That midfield is...
00:03:18
Nick
unbelievably talented in it, especially technically. And they they got that goal. It was a bit scrappy, which considering the chances they had the last week, the chances they even had today, of course it was the scrappy one that...
00:03:35
Nick
Dembele had to do a bit of hard work to even get to to to tap in. and But like you say, Liverpool probably had the better chances today, even if some won't be registered as much just because they were narrowly offside, for example.
00:03:54
Nick
But there was some mental moments. I think of the, the one it eventually got pulled back for offside, but when Trent hits the post and then he hits the post again, and then it goes, it was two or three times it hits the post and goes across the goal face.
00:04:09
Nick
I was losing my mind. i
00:04:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I mean, i can't even begin to explain but where my head was at watching that game. But credit to PSG. I think a lot of people looked at this and went, OK, Liverpool have grabbed a ah goal against the odds away from home. Now they come to Anfield.
00:04:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
and It's a young side. Can they withstand the pressure? And for that first 11 minutes, you you thought, OK, we know what's going to happen here. Liverpool are going to run away with it. It's um only a matter of time banging on the door.
00:04:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Who else but Dembele in this calendar year, 2025, that's 21 goals, a goal every 51 minutes. um Yeah, you've got to take your chances. And I think it's just it wouldn't go in for Liverpool today.
00:04:58
Nick
It almost wouldn't go in for PSG last week. Liverpool today. You almost got repeat games just slightly flipped. Like,
00:05:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, because actually one of the things that I thought the commentary didn't really do much justice on Amazon Prime was Donnarumma was everywhere.
00:05:16
Nick
I mean, he did my head in a little bit, but I have to give credit to him. i don't think he's a particularly strong goalkeeper, but after last week where he can be faulted a decent amount for the goal, he stood up today and he was coming out, punching everything away.
00:05:35
Nick
Please, though, remember you're absolutely huge and you were able to catch the ball. It did my head in at times. But, I mean, he came out, cleared everything.
00:05:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes, that's absolutely true.
00:05:46
Nick
like I don't think their defense is particular two centre-backs, I thought they were phenomenal today. Pacho was getting in the way of everything. Nuno Mendes, considering he's so good going forward, the fact that Enrique's got him to almost just be fine with being that sort of third man in defense and letting Hakimi just go up and down, who was still going up and down in the 180th minute.
00:06:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Oh my gosh.
00:06:12
Nick
i Credit to Enrique for getting this team to look like this because when they came to the Emirates to play Arsenal, we dog walked them. This is a completely different team.
00:06:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, and um obviously it went to kind of heroes and villains time. They won the task, they're at their end and they got the first penalty. and Cracking penalties from PSG.
00:06:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
I've had my Liverpool fan group going mad at the moment about Nunez's penalty. Nunez missed, Jones missed. um Heartbreak for him. feel so sorry for Darwin Nunez.
00:06:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
um He just seems to get one thing right, then another thing wrong, then one thing right, then another thing wrong. And I really want it to work for him. But you've got some thoughts about um the penalties today.
00:07:02
Nick
I was wondering if this is Nunes' Karius moment, where there is no way back. it's like Because i think most people are already out on him already, and I think i mean it will push them even further.
00:07:17
Nick
But those still sort of hanging on, i think it could just go, the call ah can't keep trusting you. like
00:07:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I think...
00:07:26
Nick
i have it's different It's different from Karius, because obviously it's not the final game of the season.
00:07:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:07:30
Nick
and So i think he'll still play, but I think his face decided today.
00:07:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, i i'm I'm inclined to agree with you, but I am really sad about that because he does give his he's all on the pitch. There was a lot of talking in my kind of circles about, you know, should he have even been stepping up?
00:07:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Should he have been taking the second penalty? My thoughts are, if you're a striker, you want that striker taking the penalty. You have to back him. He's got to be in the first lot of penalty shooters. I'm not buying into this. Oh, actually, there are better penalty takers. They should go up.
00:08:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's a striker. You do trust him to take a spot kick.
00:08:06
Nick
I mean, there's so much data in football now as well. These guys take penalties in training weekly, I'm sure of it. They'll have all the data. This isn't just like when you're playing in as a kid and who wants to take a penalty, stick your hand up, that sort of thing.
00:08:21
Nick
This is far more calculated than that, I'm sure. i
00:08:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:08:24
Nick
So yeah, I don't have a problem with him taking the penalty. I do think this could have been so different if Alisson saves that Vitina one.
00:08:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, man.
00:08:33
Nick
I think he was incredibly lucky.
00:08:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh yeah. Yeah.
00:08:36
Nick
To even do that as the first penalty taker against Alisson, like, lucky, lucky boy.
00:08:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes, yes. Very, very cool and calm. Very lucky. But, um you know, Ramos was brought on especially to take a penalty and that's enough pressure and he buried that. Dembele, Douai scored as well and earned them the right to play either Club Brugge or another British team, Aston Villa, who we're going to talk about after we've heard about Bionique.
00:09:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes, you make sure you do use that code and check out Bionique.
European Competitions: Aston Villa and Arsenal
00:09:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
So Liverpool are out, but there are still two English sides left in the competition. Villa will host Club Bruges and they've got a 3-1 lead on aggregate to have the chance to play PSG.
00:10:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
um I've had a few people already telling me they're now backing Unai Emery's men instead of Liverpool to get to the final. And that would be quite a story, wouldn't it? To see Aston Villa first season in the Champions League.
00:10:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think... It's fair to say we think they'll make the quarter-final.
00:10:18
Nick
Yeah, I mean, I feel i felt bad for Brugger last week. They completely outplayed Villa, and then in the space of a few minutes, it was 3-0.
00:10:30
Nick
i It was brutal for them. Maybe they can turn it around tomorrow, but I think it's far too big of a task, 3-0 down going to Villa Park for their first Champions League knockout game in, what, 30 years or something like that?
00:10:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
My gosh, I can't even...
00:10:45
Nick
Probably longer, 30, 40 years. So, yeah. so yeah
00:10:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's probably 30 because I seem to remember it. And yeah, it's it's been a while, but not not that long for me.
00:10:51
Nick
Yeah.
00:10:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
um So yeah, i I think it's fair to say that that we can expect to Villa to to progress. And they've invested in their squad since the January window. I've said from the beginning, I think they should have done it a bit earlier. But um real chance of really progressing in the Champions League now.
00:11:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
um And they seem to have shaken ah the monkey off their back of the kind of post-Champions League ah blues that they have when they come into the Premier League. um You said it's going to be difficult overturning a 3-1 advantage.
00:11:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Arsenal take a 7-1 advantage to PSV. um How are you feeling about that game?
00:11:35
Nick
I'm going to be ah at the Emirates tomorrow to watch probably win the dog up front. Mikel Arteta coming back into midfield. Nicolas Jo there playing just to take free kicks and corners. like I don't know what formation I'm going to be turning up to watch tomorrow.
00:11:51
Nick
Or what team, sorry. But this is done. And now it's the conversation amongst Arsenal fans is which Madrid team do we want?
00:12:02
Nick
And this might, I think, this might surprise every non-Arsenal fan. The general consensus among the Arsenal fans is Real Madrid is probably better for us, which sounds mental because obviously it's Real Madrid and everyone's also admitting we're probably losing either way.
00:12:24
Nick
So give us Real Madrid who will will attack us instead of Atletico Madrid who will sit in a mid-deep block that we play every single week and struggle against massively, especially at the moment.
00:12:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know, let's go.
00:12:40
Nick
We might have Saka back by then as well, but Real Madrid, they'll probably win anyway, but I think there's a better chance of Arsenal beating Real Madrid than there is of beating Atletico Madrid.
00:12:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, I must admit, I don't fancy a chance here against any of them, but I also thought PSG wouldn't come into Anfield and pull off the result that they have pulled off so far.
00:12:58
Nick
neither.
00:13:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
um So we're getting into the really exciting parts of of the Champions League, knockout stages. We've seen some cracking games. I'm still trying to recover from from what I've just seen.
Champions League Contenders: Who Will Win?
00:13:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Arsenal face the prospect of either Real or Atletico. We're probably going to see Villa in the quarterfinals. It's probably start time to think about, actually, apart from Real Madrid, because we always expect Real Madrid to be there and thereabouts in Champions League.
00:13:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Who is going to lift that coveted trophy by the end of the season? And you can't say Real Madrid.
00:13:39
Nick
Barcelona looked unbelievable in the early kick-off today. Jamal scored a goal which was so nonchalant it was disrespectful.
00:13:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes.
00:13:49
Nick
right and But then, look at Inter Milan. ah briefly watched the highlights today. Teram scored a really nice goal. They've still... I think they might have only conceded one goal from open play still. They conceded a penalty today.
00:14:04
Nick
hate They're such... like They're a dark horse, but they don't feel like they should be a dark horse. They should be spoken about a bit more. I don't think they're necessarily...
00:14:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, a big game.
00:14:13
Nick
Yeah, I...
00:14:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
They'll play Bayern Munich in the quarterfinal.
00:14:17
Nick
I mean... Bayern looked really good in their tie, but at the same time, I think Xabi Alonso sort lost it in the first leg. He played all... He started Kovar in goal instead of Radeki.
00:14:30
Nick
I think he lost that for himself. And they lost Wurtz, but... Yeah, I've got a bit of a soft spot for Inter. I'd like to see them go and do it, but I don't think it's their team is as strong as maybe last year.
00:14:45
Nick
But yeah, I'm looking at Barca and Inter from that side, and then Real Madrid and PSG I'd expect to be the other semi-final.
00:14:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, and that's something as well to to say, not just off of recent form in the competition, but recent form really, you know, so the Arsenal game that PSG were now speaking about actually, could they go on and and lift the Champions League?
00:15:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah What a turnaround that would be.
00:15:09
Nick
Yeah.
00:15:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
and And also, not just, you know, we're talking about kind of low block about Atletico Madrid, but like playing some really nice football. I watched them, know, real fear in my heart as every time we turned the ball over and they just attacked and really played with that fear as well.
00:15:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
We're seeing backhills on the edge of the penalty area. We're seeing players taking players on. My God, how long I've waited to see players take players on in football again.
00:15:37
Nick
Honestly, I'd love to see it happen for Arsenal.
00:15:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah
00:15:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Gosh, well, when Saka's back, you'll see that again. um
00:15:45
Nick
Thank God.
00:15:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Also, speaking of which, i was i was I've often said um i understand why Rice is deployed the way he is, where he is, but I'd like to see him playing a more attacking role. um This weekend, he scored a wonderful goal and he seemed to be getting forward in the box a bit more.
00:16:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Is that something you think is just born out of necessity for the moment until the strikers come back? Or do you think we're going to start seeing Rice playing a bit further above the pitch?
00:16:13
Nick
I mean, he's played as pretty attacking eight for a while. he's got the He's got the midfield on his back, quite frankly, for quite a few months now. Like, just putting in ridiculous performances on a weekly basis.
00:16:26
Nick
ah he has He has been attacking a lot recently, so I think it will continue. And, i mean, if he was going to play six as well, we'd have seen it far more. So, yeah yeah, I think that will continue.
00:16:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
And hopefully continue for England as well, although, you know, got the likes of Jude Bellingham and and plenty other players to stack out that midfield for England as we head into ah international territory soon as well.
00:16:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
um That's pretty much, you know, as we get to the the Champions League, teams are falling out. I'm not sure I can talk about it anymore. You know, i've just, I can't.
00:16:59
Nick
live through how I will say one thing. Liverpool might have put that fifth Champions League spot in danger a little bit.
Implications of Liverpool's Exit on Premier League
00:17:06
Nick
Especially if if we see Real Sociedad knock out Man United on Thursday.
00:17:12
Nick
If we see AZ Alkmaar keep their lead at Spurs. Those teams who are begging for that fifth spot will be fuming.
00:17:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
That is
00:17:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
that is a deep cut, Nick. I didn't even think about that. Wow.
00:17:23
Nick
I mean, ultimately, it doesn't affect Liverpool at all. But I'm thinking for the likes of Bournemouth, was going to say Fulham, but even for like Chelsea, that could be massive for Chelsea.
00:17:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:17:37
Nick
So yeah, that's a little side story in all of this. We'll see more, but we'll learn more about it on Thursday.
00:17:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. And actually that that part of the table is is looking... Really exciting at the moment. i think everybody agrees that the league is is done now. um If Liverpool can continue to to keep players injury-free, we saw Trent Alexander-Arnold go off with what looked like a nasty ankle injury, but they do have depth.
00:17:59
Nick
I look painful.
00:18:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Quantser actually made a good account of himself once he came on, um which was reassuring. And i think Bradley should be back. soon as well So we can't see Liverpool dropping enough points to not win the title. So that kind of those Champions League European places in the middle of the table is so tightly packed.
00:18:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's going to be really interesting to see ah come the end of the season as well. um I've got nothing else to cover today because like say I can't I can't speak
00:18:33
Nick
I mean, why are you speaking? I was thinking, like what after so I assume the the finals on Sunday. After Sunday, Liverpool don't really have much to do for the rest of the season.
00:18:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, which...
00:18:46
Nick
like I feel like both our fan bases are in really like weird but similar positions.
00:18:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
which
00:18:50
Nick
like You know on FIFA when you can sim to the end of the season? I would adore to have that right now. why I'm so bored of our season.
00:18:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
I also... I was thinking um the pragmatism of Arna Schlott's approach.
00:19:00
Nick
But
00:19:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
I wouldn't be surprised if, you know, the league was one... a few games before the end of the season, that that was it. Shut up shop, wrap the players in cotton wool and play squad players right to the end.
00:19:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
No trying to chase a big points tally, no trying to kind of show that we're a dominant force. I could really see that happening. and What i will say as well is ah really disappointing to go out at the FA Cup that the way Liverpool did.
00:19:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Really disappointing to come out at Anfield against this PSG side. But A moment of reflection for Liverpool fans. If you think about how we approached September 2024, was on this podcast saying, you know what, this is a season for rebuilding.
00:19:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
And we're sitting here in March saying the league is done. and So, you know, I'll be grateful for that. And I would love to see an English club look lift the Champions League, just not Arsenal.
00:19:55
Nick
God, that pains me.
00:20:01
Nick
Please, give me give us something from this season. There are a few seasons I've enjoyed less, honestly. It's so, so miserable.
00:20:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
And of course, potentially the rebuilds from other clubs as well, ah particularly up in the north. um I think that's all we've got time for. We'll finish with hearing about Zencast and then we shall say our goodbyes.
00:20:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, enjoy the rest of the UEFA Champions League fixtures today. Liverpool are out. English hopes hang on Aston Villa and Arsenal, who are playing tonight and will probably progress to the quarterfinal.
00:21:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
I've been Marcus. Thank you to Nick.
00:21:14
Nick
It's been great to join you.
00:21:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah ha And you've been listening to the Global Sports Podcast Network.