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00:00Oh, and he's waiting to talk to Patrick Davison as well played Trent.
00:04You have been a great Liverpool player.
00:07Was that one of your best moments in the red shirt?
00:10For sure.
00:10I think I've had some good moments in the stadium, to be honest,
00:14scored a few goals here.
00:15But now, I think
00:18he is so close to win the title now.
00:22Yeah, I think I mean, first game back from injury as well.
00:25It was an important game for me.
00:26I was excited to be back up and a lot of hard work
00:29over the last few weeks to get back fit.
00:32And I'm eager to play.
00:34And I was happy to contribute with the goal.
00:36It was a big one.
00:38You say you've had some great moments in the stadium.
00:40I'm picturing 2019.
00:41You stood there very similar in front of the Liverpool fans.
00:44Yeah, yeah, very similar indeed.
00:46And I'm pretty sure that's my first left foot goal in my career as well.
00:49So it's taken a few years.
00:52We've got that in the end.
00:53They texted me that the stats department, but I couldn't believe that.
00:57But you obviously knew straight away.
00:59Yeah, that's probably the one type of goal I've been missing.
01:02But no, I saved it for the right time.
01:04Being so close to win the league now.
01:08I think it's one win away now.
01:10Very close.
01:11And to do, especially with fans here as well, is a very, very special moment.
01:16Alexis, you just stood there with a big grin on your face,
01:18which I guess tells us a lot.
01:19Yeah, of course, really happy, not just for the team, but for Trent.
01:23He's been working really, really hard to come back.
01:27So this is a present for him.
01:29I hope he can enjoy it with these amazing fans.
01:32I'm pretty sure he deserves it.
01:34What did it mean to have, well, a couple of moments, actually, with the Liverpool fans,
01:38as you charged towards them when you scored?
01:40And I just noticed at the end there, I think it was Virgil who just shoved you forward to take the applause.
01:47Yeah, of course.
01:47I think, yeah, he's pushed me to the front to, you know, soak it in, get, of course, I'm personal.
01:54The way fans are always amazing.
01:56The fans have been outstanding again this season.
01:58They've pushed us every game into the final minutes.
02:02And they've done that again today.
02:03And they've helped us win the game.
02:05And you can still hear them now while they're celebrating as much as we do it for ourselves
02:10and do it for our families.
02:11We do it for the fans as well.
02:14They're the ones that travel to games, spend the money to come watch us play.
02:17So at the least, they deserve to see us give 100% on the pitch and win games.
02:21And to be so close to Sealand, for some of us, a second league title,
02:25and for a lot of us, a first league title.
02:28But especially in front of fans, which is what we've been missing, is very special.
02:32Listen, there's one more burning question.
02:33You know it's coming.
02:35I don't know if you can give an answer.
02:37How many special moments left for you in the Liverpool shirt?
02:41Look, obviously, I've said all season, I can't, I'm not going to speak on my situation.
02:46I'm not going to go into details.
02:47But these days, like today, are always special.
02:52Scoring goals, playing, winning games, being close to winning titles as well,
02:57being in title races, the special moments that will live in me forever.
03:01I'm glad to be a part of them.
03:03Well said.
03:04Can you do one more job for us?
03:06Play the match, Alexis.
03:09I don't know if I deserve it, but the most important thing is the win and that this guy scored.
03:15Well said.
03:20Alexis McAllister and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
03:23In a way, that interview was a lot like the game itself.
03:25We had to wait a long time for the goal.
03:27We were waiting for the Patrick Davison question to Trent Alexander-Arnold.
03:31We could have predicted really what the tone of the answer would be, but he had to ask it.
03:37Did we get any clues from the answer at all?
03:40Not really, but I felt more on edge throughout that interview than I did the game, actually.
03:44Listen, he hasn't really spoken all season, which, listen, we're getting to that stage of the season where he's got to, you know,
03:51be speaking to the club in terms of what he is doing one way or another, whether a decision has already been made.
03:55I think most people feel that it has, so it probably is difficult for him to give an honest answer if that decision has been made.
04:03But I think the frustration from the Liverpool supporters throughout this process is that at least with Salah and Van Dijk,
04:10even though they've been coming out and speaking, he was critical of Mo Salah early in the season about coming out about his own situation.
04:17But it was always on the remit that they wanted to stay.
04:19So I think that probably, you know, tells you having the situation with Trent being, you know, a local boy this season,
04:25getting the interview at the end and, you know, we'll find out there's only a few weeks to go.
04:29But I think most of us probably know what's going to happen.
04:33Great moment, though, for Trent Alexander-Arnold as Liverpool move to within three points of the Premier League title.
04:39We'll reflect on that and we'll reflect on Leicester's relegation.
04:42Just to round up what's been happening elsewhere today, Fulham 1-0 up against Chelsea,
04:47but an injury time, an injury time winner from Pedro Neto earned all three points for Chelsea,
04:53takes them back into the automatic Champions League spot.
04:56Manchester United beaten 1-0 at home by Wolves. Pablo Sarabia on target for Wolves.
05:01And that means they are officially safe and they move level on points with Manchester United.
05:06Earlier today, Arsenal with a 4-0 win at 10-man Ipswich.
05:10Remember, you can see highlights of all today's games, including the goals, of course, on the Sky Sports app.
05:14And the quickest way to get there is to scan the QR code that you can see on your screen right now.
05:24And here is the table. Liverpool within three points of a Premier League title.
05:30Arsenal may have something to say about it. They play against Crystal Palace on Wednesday.
05:35And if Crystal Palace get the win, the title will be Liverpool's.
05:38Otherwise, it goes to the game against Tottenham next weekend,
05:41where Liverpool will have to win in order to seal the title. Chelsea move into the Champions League places.
05:47Nottingham Forest go into their game against Tottenham tomorrow night in sixth place.
05:52They are out of those Champions League spots. Meanwhile, down at the other end,
05:55we already knew that Southampton were relegated. Leicester have joined them.
06:01They had to win against the Champions-Elect in order to keep their season going for a little bit longer.
06:06It's almost done for Ipswich, and that's because of the big goal difference.
06:10They can get there in terms of their points total, but that goal difference could well see them suffer.
06:15West Ham just outside the bottom three. Wolves move up into 15th.
06:19They're level on points with Manchester United and Everton as things stand.
06:24More live sport to come for you this evening. It was eventful last time Ben Whittaker and Liam Cameron met.
06:35Both of them ended up out of the ring in controversial circumstances.
06:39They go again, 7 o'clock, for all the build-up on Sky Sports Action.
06:44Twisters is available right now on Sky Cinema.
06:48That might be what we're calling the end of the season run-in for the Premier League title
06:52and for those final European spots, plenty of twists and turns left to come in that.
06:57If you're watching on Sky Sports Main Event, you're going to head over to Saudi Arabia,
07:01where the F1 continues live Grand Prix.
07:04Verstappen started on Poland. He's leading. You can follow it all live right now.
07:10Or if you stay with us on Sky Sports Premier League, we'll have all the reaction as Liverpool beat Leicester by a goal to nil.
07:17It takes the Reds to within three points of the Premier League title and relegates Leicester.
07:36They had to be patient for it. That came with their 25th shot of the game at Alexander-Arnold returning from injury.
07:42He had only been on the pitch for five minutes when he got the winner and that was the final score.
07:47Leicester nil, Liverpool one. Three points away.
07:52That could happen as early as Wednesday when Arsenal have a game against Crystal Palace.
07:58If Crystal Palace win that game, Liverpool will be champions.
08:02Or it goes to next Sunday when Liverpool will have it in their own hands.
08:06They're at home to Tottenham and you can see both of those games live on Sky Sports Premier League.
08:117.30 for the coverage of Arsenal against Crystal Palace.
08:15Four o'clock for all the build-up to Liverpool against Tottenham.
08:21But the flip side of that story is, of course, the defeat for Leicester.
08:25It's a ninth game in a row, which is a record for the top flight in which they haven't scored a goal at home.
08:31It's a record that sees them second from bottom in the table and confirmed as relegated to the championship.
08:38It's Connor Cody with Patrick Davidson.
08:44Well, Connor, we now know that something that's felt inevitable for a while has happened.
08:48But do you at least have the sense that you as players can look in the mirror after the performance you've given today?
08:54Listen, I think for the first part of your question, yeah, it's felt like we've not been good enough all year.
09:01We haven't. We look at today and I thought we played quite well today.
09:03I thought we moved the ball well. I thought we nullified Leipzig and Leipzig were a world-class side.
09:06But we look back on the season and it's not been anywhere near good enough from my point of view, from a club's point of view.
09:11But we've got to look at ourselves as players in the mirror.
09:13And we have to now. What's happened, has happened.
09:16And try and put this club in a better position come the summer.
09:18That's what we've got to try and do because, listen, we haven't been good enough.
09:21We've took a bit of stick and we'll keep on taking stick because it's deserved so.
09:24Because, like I said, from minute one this season, we haven't been at a level to fully, fully compete in the Premier League.
09:28And you need to be because it'll eat you up and spit you out.
09:32So, yeah, not good enough. And it's something we've got to look at because we're absolutely devastated.
09:36So why have you not been good enough, do you think?
09:39I know it's hard straight after. Why have you not been at the level?
09:41I don't know. Listen, I can sit here and probably speak to you about it all day because I'm annoyed as anyone, I'll be honest.
09:47It's something that I've got all kinds of questions about.
09:50But I'm a person and we're a team and we have to be a team who look in the mirror.
09:52We have to be a team who look at ourselves and go, have we done enough this year in the Premier League?
09:55The answer is no. It's as simple as that.
09:56I think everyone as part of the club will say the same thing.
09:59And I think us as a club haven't done enough. It's simple as that.
10:01So we've got to now, what we've got left five games, I think it is, or whatever it is.
10:04We've got to try and put this club in the best position it can because that's the most important thing at the end of the day.
10:09The lads can't be looking at themselves.
10:10You put this club in the best position as you can to have a good summer, to give yourself a chance to get back out of the league next year.
10:15So how do you do that? How do you use these last few games to put the club in a slightly better position for what follows? How do you do that?
10:24Performances, wins. We've got to win at some point. We have to win a game of football. It's as simple as that.
10:28We have not won enough game of football. That's why we're in the situation we're in.
10:31And like I said, it's putting the club first. It's putting the people at this football club first because us as a team haven't been good enough.
10:35There are a whole host of factors where we haven't been good enough, but we haven't.
10:39So we've got to look at ourselves. So how we can do that is by playing well.
10:43I hate the thoughts as well of you get relegated and you start playing with freedom.
10:47That should never be the case with freedom all season. But that's what we've got to do now. It's as simple as that.
10:51We've got to get a win. And like I said, it's five games.
10:54It seems to try and put this club in a position that it can go again in the summer.
10:57I think of you throughout your career as almost the ultimate team man, as a real leader.
11:02We've seen that with England, with Wolves here at Leicester. Have those sort of qualities,
11:07I'm not just talking about you, throughout the group, have they been there in this Leicester team?
11:11Because what I'm asking is quality is one thing, effort, unity, those sorts of things, leadership.
11:20You can bridge the gap on those things. Have you managed to do that?
11:22Yeah, listen, we've tried our best. I'm somebody who will give that a million times a day.
11:27I'll always do that. It's something I'll do. We've got leaders within the dressing room.
11:29Listen, we've got Leicester's greatest ever player in there.
11:31So we have leaders within the dressing room. But I'll be honest, I think people look at us when
11:35we're not winning games and go, they're rubbish, they're not doing enough, they're not doing this.
11:37And we're not doing enough. But at the same time, it takes a hit on you when you're losing a lot of
11:40games. And I think you could see it with lads. I think you could see a frailty about us in the last few weeks.
11:44I think we've all seen that. We've felt it on the pitch. And no matter how much we stand there and say,
11:48you don't want to be like that. You've got to be strong enough to get through it. We weren't strong
11:50enough to get through it. And that's where we've got to look at ourselves. So for me, it's majorly
11:54disappointing. I'm devastated. I've been devastated for weeks when the points have been getting further
11:58away and Wolves and West Ham have been winning and different things. It's been devastating for
12:01myself. So I'll go home. I'll take it on the chin. And we have to take it on the chin because,
12:06like I said, the most important thing is the club and putting us in a better place for the summer.
12:09Is that the other point to make? Is the quality gap between the championship and the Premier League
12:15just bigger than ever now? I don't agree with it. I could speak to you about this all day.
12:21I think it's about how clubs prepare to come into the Premier League. The gap is massive,
12:23of course. It's all not the best league in the world. But I think it's about how clubs prepare.
12:26And did we prepare right? Did we set ourselves up right? What do you mean by that, Conor?
12:30In terms of transfers? No, not in terms of transfers. We signed some fantastic plays in the summer.
12:34Nothing about that. I mean in terms of the way we played last season in the championship. I
12:38think to prepare for the Premier League, you need nine months foundational. And obviously,
12:42lost the previous manager before. And then we go in trying to get six weeks preparation. I could
12:47talk to you about it all day. We haven't been good enough. It's as simple as that. We look at
12:50ourselves. We speak about it. We look at it. And we take it on the chin. And we've got to try and
12:55finish the season as strong as we can. Thank you. That's up, ma'am. Thank you.
12:59It is a fifth relegation from the Premier League for Leicester. Only Norwich with six have more.
13:05Connor Cody talked about the difficulty in going week to week, losing game after game,
13:10and that run going on. And he talked about the toll that that can take. Yeah, it does.
13:15When you consider, obviously, generally, when you get promoted from the championship,
13:18you're winning most weeks. And then it's almost the opposite when you get in the Premiership.
13:21And it's difficult. You're going in every Monday after another defeat. It affects everyone at the club.
13:26And it drags you down, just like he's been saying there. He seems like a pretty decent pro.
13:34I haven't said that. When the previous manager left, Cooper, he obviously called. He was interviewed.
13:40He said, we probably needed a new voice. The previous manager had only been there three months.
13:45So, yeah, they do have to look in the mirror. You do have to look at yourself. But, yeah,
13:48they've lacked quality. And if you're, what, seven, eight games now without a goal,
13:51you're constantly under pressure. That was a good effort from today. It was too little too late.
13:56It was just a matter of time when Liverpool were going to win the game and score. But,
13:59um, yeah, it's a big few months now coming up for Leicester, what to do with the recruitment,
14:03which players they hold on to, what's going to happen with the manager. But they've bounced back
14:07before. You know, Leicester is a good football club. It's got a good history over the last few
14:11years in terms of winning the league in the FA Cup and brilliant training ground. And I've obviously
14:15had the setbacks with the owner here, obviously losing his life. They've had the real rollercoaster
14:19ups and downs. And this is another disappointment for them. But they can bounce back. It's just
14:23keeping the heads, keeping a strong group of players who are decent pros to look to bounce back.
14:29We've seen other teams go down. But the key is if they can, if they do come back up,
14:32trying to get a foothold in the Premiership, you look at the league table there, the points total,
14:37the goals for, the goals against, it's, uh, it's not great. Yeah, when I got, uh, relegated with Villa,
14:43and I just listened to his interview there. And he basically wants to tell us more. And when you're
14:50going into training and you're working so hard, but ultimately it just comes down to quality.
14:56So when you go in there and you see all the staff working so hard, the players are not good enough.
15:03And no matter what you do, no matter what you say, the confidence just gets drained right out of you.
15:09So they're going into this game. Okay. They know they're going to go down and they played a better game.
15:13It was a similar Aston Villa at the time when the pressure's off, but they need to play well 15,
15:18you know, 10, 15 games ago. And when it, when they needed to be stand up and counting for,
15:24it just wasn't there. And I just seen the interview and it just brought back so many men.
15:28They have no belief now, Mike. I know they're playing a hard game. They could, they could play a pub team
15:32tomorrow. They probably wouldn't believe they'll beat them. Yeah.
15:34All that belief has gone out the window now. And it's just, and the next four or five games,
15:38listen, that won't be easy. He's saying there, we'd have to look in the mirror and reflect and react.
15:43You're supposed to be doing that since the start of the season. You know,
15:46you're not going to get a free pass in the next few games that you have in the Premier League.
15:48It doesn't, but I, what I like also about the Premiership for teams, teams who are struggling,
15:53it's brutal. This is a brutal game. And the reality is out there. We've seen Liverpool today,
15:57and we're, we're all a little bit frustrated with Liverpool, but they still had loads and loads of chances.
16:01So we're always going to win the game. But there's no hiding place. So if you are cutting corners,
16:06or you aren't doing your homework as a club, and you don't think you have the right manager,
16:09or the right pre-season, you will be found out. Because there's too many good teams out there.
16:15You can talk about what's happened here this season, and we're talking about promoted clubs,
16:18but unless they're a little bit different, we're talking about a team who won the Premier League,
16:21under Brendan Rodgers, missed out on Champions League football two years running,
16:25also won an FA Cup the year after they finish eighth. They then go from eighth to 18th and get relegated.
16:29And that's where, you know, the decisions around that season and where they find themselves right now,
16:34it's not just about sort of Ruud van Nistelrooy and the players here now. This is going to be
16:37going on for two or three years. And Roy mentioned the position they put themselves in. I've just
16:41mentioned the trophies. Got the best training ground in the country. You know, an established
16:45Premier League club. So you think of people at the top of the club, I think it's John Rudken,
16:48who's the director of football here. Decisions that have been made at the top level that have
16:52obviously filtered down to the pitch as well. That's where, you know, real questions should be asked.
16:57And what kind of building work can they do? That's what, you know, Conor Cody was talking
17:01about as well, to make sure that between now and the end of the season and then again over the summer,
17:06that they're ready to come straight back up to the Premier League because that will be their ambition.
17:10Yeah, well, if Ruud decides to stay on again, we go back to recruitment, which players to hold on to.
17:15Will they get offered for some of the players? I don't look at too many players out there that
17:19they're going to have big offers. Do certain players have clauses where they can leave? Varley, Cody,
17:24these players who have been good pros aren't getting any younger. Do you get rid of them,
17:27lads? These are all big decisions that have to be made. And they'll have to start now because
17:32it's officially now they're in the Championship next year. But that's life. That can happen.
17:38You know, we've seen the supporters leaving here today, but Leicester have had big disappointments
17:41before. But what's been said, the problem is getting back into the Premiership. It's getting a
17:46foothold. But we see other teams who went down last year and they're back in the mix to come back up.
17:49So keep the heads, try and keep a decent dressing room, a bit of quality. And there's every chance
17:54Leicester would bounce back next year. Every chance, especially with the few Bob they'll have.
17:58But again, it won't be easy. I think you need some statements coming on. I'll be interested to see
18:03what happens with the manager and Ruud, whether he wants to say, whether they want to keep him or
18:06whatever might be the scenario. Does Ruud want to manage in the Championship? He might not have a
18:10choice or give him a chance to kind of rebuild his team. We'll hear from him very shortly. Ruud van Nistelrooy,
18:15Ruud van Nistelrooy will be talking to Pat very soon. Meanwhile, on Sky Sports F1, you can follow
18:22the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. That's also on Sky Sports Main Event. And here on Sky Sports Premier
18:29League, as promised, we will hear from Ruud van Nistelrooy on Leicester's relegation and
18:33potentially on his own future. And we'll hear from Arna Slott as he's taken Liverpool to within
18:38three points of the title.
18:50Well, Arna, like for so much of this season, you had to fight, you had to scrap. And again,
18:57like for so much of the season, you found a way. Yeah. And again, we created a lot of chances.
19:03Maybe this time even more than normally. And normally we're a bit better if we create chances
19:12that we score goals. But today it took us a long time. And of course, a great moment for Trent
19:18after working so hard to come back, being able to be with the squad and then come in and make the goal
19:25that makes a lot of difference is very special. At the start of the game, I think Salah hit both posts
19:30in the third minute. Did you go from thinking, ah, it's kind of a matter of time till we score,
19:35to the game wears on? Is it going to happen today?
19:39No, I never felt it's not going to happen today because we kept creating chances.
19:43But you do know that if you play against a team that's almost relegated or very close to relegation,
19:50that it helps if you can kill the momentum immediately by scoring a goal,
19:54hopefully find the second one immediately afterwards. And then it's normally an easy game for you.
19:59But if you if you don't score the first one and the stadium was sold out again because the league
20:04leaders come and they get a bit of momentum, they get a bit of belief for results, yeah,
20:09then it gets more difficult and more difficult. That's why I was really happy and pleased with
20:13the second half where we created so many chances. And I know it's not done yet, but when you're in this
20:19situation, does every victory feel like a huge moment? Does every victory feel like a big step?
20:24Yes, but it felt like big moments during the whole season. But of course, in the end,
20:33they seem to matter more because either you want to go to the Champions League if you are number five
20:39in the league or if you're number one in the league, you want to stay in that position,
20:42you want to try to stay out of relegation. So in the end, it always feels that it's more important.
20:47But yeah, it was a good win, but with a lot of effort again.
20:54Why does this team always find a way, do you think?
20:57Because they just keep going. Mentally, they're really strong and they just enjoy to play football.
21:04They enjoy to be out there trying to create, work very hard not to concede,
21:13because I don't think, apart from the first half where they hit the post, they've created a lot,
21:18maybe an extra time, one shot quite high over the goal. So yeah, it's a bit of both. They enjoy playing
21:25football and it always helps if you play for something special, let's be honest.
21:29Great to be able to turn to a player of Trent's quality. How special a moment was that?
21:34I mean, every question about him this season has really been about the contract,
21:37but forget that for a second. How good is he?
21:40He's incredible, if he sets his mind to it. So,
21:47I think if you play for such a long time at a club, there are always moments where you feel like,
21:52maybe again, an away game where I've been so many times. But every time when moments really matter,
21:58so when he came in half an hour before the end against Newcastle, that's probably the best I've
22:03seen him play. And then against Paris Saint-Germain in the second half where we really needed a goal,
22:07he stepped up. Unfortunately, he got injured in that game. And today he knows when it matters most,
22:15he can just bring a bit more. And I think that is something only the top, top, top players have.
22:22And yeah, he has that definitely.
22:25And those top, top, top players, as you say, you want to keep them. So, can you see a way that he stays?
22:32It's felt for a while like that's been set on a path different to Virgil's and Mo Salah's,
22:37but can you see a way that he's doing magic things for Liverpool again next year?
22:42I think my only good answer is to talk about his goal, because all the attention should go to his goal,
22:48the importance of his goal, the importance of what he did for this club for so many years in a row,
22:53and even this season, this is my only season with him. And for him scoring a goal like this,
22:57all the headlines should be about him scoring this goal and not about his contract situation.
23:01And again, all season long, you haven't wanted to dream, you haven't wanted to look too far ahead,
23:07but it's one game now. It's one win. Is it harder and harder to hold back those dreams?
23:17No, it's never hard to dream, but I think it's also clear that we, you saw this today as well,
23:22that we are really focused on playing. The boys deserve to have a day off and hopefully they're
23:30going to enjoy that. And then when we are back together with full focus on Tottenham and looking
23:36forward again to a home game, probably the stadium will be full. I'd have said it might be, yeah.
23:42So it's a nice game to look forward to, but we have to focus on Tottenham, which we've played already
23:47three times this season, I think. And it's every time they've made a real competitive game for us.
23:52So we know what to expect and we know we have to be ready. So we'll see you at Anfield next week.
23:57See you next week. Thanks, Arna. All the best to you.
24:01Time for Arna Slott to start building towards that game. It could be done as early as Wednesday,
24:05depending on what happens between Arsenal and Crystal Palace, but it could go to that game against
24:11Tottenham where Liverpool will have it in their own hands. On this performance against Leicester,
24:16how do you think they're coming into these last few games of the season?
24:21I think they were in better form in the winter months and none better than possibly the two
24:25performances against Tottenham this season when you think of the league game or certainly the game
24:30at Anfield in the Carabao Cup second leg. Liverpool were fantastic. They were excellent in the league
24:35game. They scored a few goals. So it's not quite there right now, but they're getting the job done.
24:41And that's what it felt like watching this game, the way it felt like for a few weeks where you come
24:47away and thinking, come on, can it be a bit more sort of spectacular maybe in terms of the football
24:52or the pace of the game at different times? But then you come away and you look at how many shots
24:56Liverpool had, how many big chances they created. And Liverpool have scored 75 goals in the Premier
25:01League this season in 33 games, which is a brilliant record. I think Arsenal obviously in second position
25:06on 61. And I still feel like they can score more goals. Every time I watch them, I feel like, you know,
25:12if they could do it with someone else there alongside Salah, it was as clinical as him,
25:16you know, in terms of getting more goals, because they very rarely actually go out and sort of beat
25:21someone four or five. Maybe we'll look at the stats tomorrow on Monday Night Football. Exactly.
25:25But they feel like they win a lot of games by one goal or two goals, very rarely going by sort of four
25:29or five. And normally you'd associate that with title winners doing that maybe four or five times in
25:34a season. I don't think that's quite happened for Liverpool this season. But in terms of chances created,
25:39it feels like they should be scoring a lot more goals. It's funny because the goal sort of sums
25:43that up. Although it was a goal in the end. Van Dijk had a go. Salah had a go. McAllister.
25:47The business. We felt when he came on today, all of us were saying he'd probably scored a winning goal.
25:51And that's what he's done. And as poor as Liverpool, I suppose, been in the last week or two,
25:56they've created loads of chances. Two of the defenders have stepped up. They've forced goals or
26:01winning goals from set pieces. And that's a good sign. You know, I've always said they have a good
26:07knack of winning football matches, even when they're maybe not at their best, but they're
26:10still creating loads of chances. They gave up one or two chances against a poor Leicester team.
26:15Leicester obviously not good enough to punish them, but they've won the game. Pretty sure
26:18they got the job done next week. It may already be decided behind closed doors,
26:22but if Trent Alexander-Arnold leaves Liverpool at the end of the season, whether it's for Real Madrid
26:27or where else, but Madrid are the front runners for this, did he show today, even in that 15,
26:3220 minute cameo exactly how hard it's going to be, whether it's Connor Bradley or whoever comes
26:37in to replace him? You can't replace him because what he is, the reason we talk about him so much,
26:42I think he's the most talked about fullback we've probably ever seen in the Premier League,
26:46is because he's unique. He's different. And you've just mentioned about him defensively.
26:50Now, most top fullbacks don't get a thrown at them that are not very good defensively,
26:54but he's so unique on the ball. I think I said four or five years ago, it's like having
26:58Kevin De Bruyne play a right back. That's what it feels like in terms of his ability on the ball.
27:03He can come on and change games. So, Liverpool aren't going to replace that.
27:07So, Liverpool need to replace his creativity. They're not going to do that from right back.
27:11They need maybe to do that from an attacking midfield position or maybe a left wing position.
27:15So, the team has to evolve that way. Now, where they can replace him is,
27:19Connor Bradley's a right back. Connor Bradley shouldn't look at Trent and think,
27:22I want to be like him. He's got to be like Andy Robertson was when he was in his prime.
27:26A proper fullback, up and down, aggressive, at the winger, maybe overlapping,
27:30getting crosses in, underlapping is what the Liverpool fullbacks like to do.
27:33So, you're not going to be able to replace him. So, forget that.
27:35But the big issue in Liverpool have, well, a couple of issues in between now and the end of the season
27:40and the summer is, if Trent hasn't committed, which he hasn't, obviously, to the manager for next season,
27:47he shouldn't be starting games. He shouldn't be, because...
27:50Even not for a send-off for him for what he's done for the couple of years?
27:53You think about planning for next season? Of course. Liverpool are not here as a football club
27:58to give someone a send-off. Yeah, but, I mean, you win the league for so long,
28:02he's been a vital part of that. I mean, yes, I understand what you're saying,
28:07in terms of, like, you've got to prepare for next season. I totally get that point, I do.
28:11But for what he's done for the club throughout his years,
28:15he's been there since a little boy, they're going to win the league,
28:17just to give him a few more appearances and say, you know, well done.
28:19No, it's not about that. The point of being is, in Conor Bradley, you've got a young player.
28:25It's not like we're talking about a 27-, 28-year-old. It's not about a young player who had a tough 15-,
28:2920-minute at the start of the game. And that's part of becoming, like, an experienced player.
28:33I went through that in certain games. Gary, who's commenting, would have gone through situations like that.
28:38It's not about, oh, let's give Trent a send-off. It's about, OK, we need to assess whether Conor Bradley
28:43is the guy for us next season playing week in, week out. Because the decision that the people
28:47will have in terms of Trent moving on is, does Conor Bradley become our first-choice right-back
28:52and we buy a back-up player who's maybe a utility player who can maybe play centre-back?
28:56Or are we buying a first-choice right-back and Conor Bradley's going to have to battle with him?
29:01So that lad needs as much experience as he possibly can get. So, yes, bring him on,
29:05like he did today, if he needed to go and win the game, maybe against Spurs or a couple of weeks after that.
29:09But in terms of starting games right now, if Trent hasn't committed to the club,
29:12which he obviously hasn't, Conor Bradley should be starting every game.
29:14But is there not a question to ask about having your assets on the pitch,
29:20if you're starting every game with your post-11?
29:23Who would you start next Sunday if you have to beat Spurs?
29:25Conor. No, what I'm saying is, if Liverpool, if this title wasn't sewn up and it was edging heads
29:30with Arsenal, you put your best player on the pitch, which is Trent. But Liverpool have won the league.
29:36Have you seen enough in Bradley? Because I think he's good enough.
29:39I think he's a really good player.
29:41Week in, week out. That's why you have to give him his head now, sort of five games to go.
29:48Start him in all these games. He'll have good games, he'll have bad games. He's a young defender.
29:51But give him that experience and then you get to the summer and you make your decision what you do.
29:54It's amazing that we talk about Trent. Trent's a fantastic player.
29:57But as if the world's coming to an end if he leaves, if he does leave, you wish the lad well.
30:01He's done brilliant. He's been a good servant. He's been a brilliant player for Liverpool.
30:05But I'm pretty sure Liverpool will survive. Better players have left Liverpool than Trent.
30:09And Liverpool are doing okay. You have to also accept supporters. You have to accept your support
30:13in the club. Obviously, you love your players. You love your idols. You love certain players like
30:17Daglish and Rush and all these people. But when they leave, you just continue.
30:20Exactly. Good players will come true. That's the name of the game. So, as brilliant as Trent is,
30:27Liverpool will be fine. And the point I want to make about that is, before this team got together,
30:33Steven Gerrard, alongside your dad, the two greatest players to ever play for the club,
30:38you know, we were in the team together. We didn't win the Premier League. The next manager won the
30:41Premier League and won everything with, you know, half of this team and other players who moved on. So,
30:46the greatest player in Liverpool's history moved on. The next manager won the league and won everything.
30:50European Cup, World Club Cup. It just shows you the great clubs. As Roy said,
30:54he knows better than anyone with the great club he played for. You'll be fine.
30:58So, go to the next level for them to push on or kick on next season. What do Liverpool need,
31:02in your opinion? Say he wants to lose a Trent. I think Liverpool need five or six players.
31:08That much? Yeah. I do. I think they need a lot more pace in the team. I think every area of the team
31:15could be looked at in terms of two defenders, two midfield players and two attackers.
31:18Yeah. I think it'd be good for the manager, the Liverpool manager. Watch the strong teams
31:22always done over the years. Chelsea and I had to come back to Liverpool in the 80s when they were
31:25doing really well. They'd also then make a statement this summer. I know about these couple of lads
31:29signing deals, which are fantastic. But they'd also go out and buy one or two or three top players and
31:33everyone would go, hey, you send a message to everybody that, yeah, we might have won the
31:37league, but we're not relaxing with this. You send that message and if Liverpool go out and get one
31:41or two world-class players, you're also putting a marker down to the other teams to say, listen,
31:45we're hopefully here to stay for a few more years competing at the top. Because the point to be made
31:50is since they rejigged the board at Liverpool and since they brought in new decision-makers in
31:56Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards has come back into the club, hasn't been very active
32:02in the transfer market, if at all. No, so that means there should be plenty to spend this summer,
32:08but Liverpool and a club will just, you know, to pacify the supporters, you know,
32:12we're going to buy lots of players, you know, something that Chelsea have been doing for the
32:14last years and Manchester United. I mean, look at the state, those two clubs are in. You know,
32:18it's about being brave, Richard, they were really brave. When does a manager ever come to a
32:21football club, a new manager, and not really sign anyone for the first team or bring players he knows
32:26from his former club? It's unheard of and they held the nerve and they get criticized from Liverpool
32:30fans and I get criticized as being an FSG stooge. Are you? Are you? But the point I'm making,
32:37you have to admire the nerve and what it takes to actually stay strong and say, no, we're not going
32:42to panic, we're going to wait for the right moment and we're going to deliver and that's what they've
32:45done for the last sort of six or seven years and hence why they've been so successful. Do you think
32:48they'll do this summer, Jeremy? Do you think they've got two lined up? Yeah, I think Liverpool are in a
32:51club who have a big summer every season. I think Liverpool could have a real go and then for the next
32:57couple of summers it'll be okay, we've got this team now and then they'll go again and I think
33:01history shows that even when Jürgen Klopp was manager, I think this summer is the right time
33:05to do it and he's got to assess the squad. It's not his squad, it's Jürgen Klopp's and he's got a little
33:09bit more out of it than the previous managers did last season but he'll want to put a stamp on it this
33:13summer. And he's taken them to within three points of the Premier League title. You'll be able to watch
33:18the next couple of games live on. There have been ways to lose, ways you need to perform when things
33:28have gone against you. Did you at least see that from your players today? Yeah, I did 100%. I think
33:33we've performed to the maximum of our capabilities like last week in Brighton. It was a spirited
33:38performance, we were in the game. Of course Liverpool was a dominant side and creating more chances but we
33:44had our shot on the post, two Facundo shots, the disallowed goal where I've seen him given as well.
33:51It was fairly light. Of course then the goal they scored with the head injury of Luc Thomas.
34:01So yeah, then the game goes away from you but the spirit and the performance of this team,
34:07it reflected also in the stands with the support of the crowd. It's been different here.
34:13I have to say I'm proud of this team. Why do you think in the last couple of weeks
34:18we've seen an upturn from your team? A couple of decent performances?
34:22Yeah, I think it's the spirit of this team. I think you see among the promoted sides that it's
34:28such a mountain to climb to stay in the Premier League five games before the end. Two teams are
34:33definitely relegated and one is 15 points behind with five games to play. It says something on the
34:40difficulty when you get up to compete, especially in this moment where we of course were that far
34:49behind that you never give up but you see it coming. You see it coming and that then pulling
34:55off these performances with the will to prove themselves still right through the end of the
35:01season to finish it on the best way possible and taking it into next season and that's where we
35:07shifted the targets, the goals that we want to achieve and that's what the players are showing.
35:13You touched on a few things there and how tricky it is for promoted teams but
35:18in your view, and I know you only came in November, why have Leicester City been relegated and
35:24is there any more you feel like the players could have done, the club could have done, yourself could
35:29have done? Of course, first starting with myself. I came in in December and you have to look at yourself
35:37first and then evaluate with the leadership and management of the club to see okay what happened,
35:47how did things go and see where you can find each other moving forward.
35:53How big a challenge was that for you, Ruud, coming in mid-season to a team that's already in trouble?
35:59Yeah, we knew it was always going to be a big challenge. Of course, expected to get more results.
36:06I think we played some very good games where we forgot to take results. In the end, the difference
36:15is in the two boxes and that's the difference in the Premier League where
36:18the top teams, they outplay the expected goals is how I say it. They score
36:28more than the expected goals say and, of course, in the defensive part and in the two boxes, that's
36:34where the quality is and that's where, of course, the money is spent. In the winter window, there wasn't
36:42anything possible to strengthen that I think that the team really needed. It really needed, but we had
36:48to adjust the expectations on that during the window. In the end, I expected more. I expected more
37:01since I came in in December to get more results on the scoreboard.
37:05But it sounds like, ultimately, what you're saying, I mean, we can look through different games,
37:08different decisions you made or whoever made. Leicester been relegated because they weren't good
37:13enough. The quality wasn't there. Not enough to stay in this league, compete with the 17 teams that are
37:19there for a long time in the league and the gap appears to be too big for promoted sides. But
37:27in that sense, it's the conclusion. Yes, we weren't able to compete enough to stay in.
37:34In the last few weeks, with maybe a changes set up, some of the young players you've brought into
37:39the team and the squad, you've started to sound like it almost looked like you're presenting a
37:44vision for the future, like you want to be part of it. Is that fair? Is that a fair assessment of
37:50what you've tried to do and what you want moving forward?
37:52It is a fair assessment because it's where we shifted the motivation and the targets and the
37:58spirit to reach these goals, to look. We have to use this time to get better and to be in a better
38:06place ending the season and starting the new season because the club will continue. And it's my job now
38:12to put the club in the best place possible. And in my vision, this is the way forward.
38:17Yeah. And when do you find out if the owners share your vision and whether they want you to be
38:23manager again next season and hopefully lead Leicester back?
38:25I hope soon because the new season starts very soon and preparation needs to start to move forward.
38:35So you want to keep the job and you want to have conversations as soon as possible?
38:38Of course. And then you have to find each other. As I said, the winter window went in a certain way.
38:47We have to take that into the evaluations as well, moving forward. If we are willing to do so both
38:57sides and we have to find each other there. And of course, the sooner the better.
39:02Thank you, Ruud. Thank you. Thank you.
39:06Well, Ruud Van Nistelrooy giving some insight into how he would like his future to look. We'll talk about
39:10whether we think he's the right man to do that. But they have been relegated four times before from the
39:16Premier League under Brian Little and Mark McGee. And then three of those times, they've come right back up
39:23again. They've only been one season away. The other time was 10 seasons. But is Ruud Van Nistelrooy the right
39:31man to bring them back again? I hope so. Well, he's fought well. Ruud's a pretty honest guy and no
39:36doubt he's disappointed. But obviously, his message there was, yeah, he wants to get him back up next
39:40season. He obviously wants that backing for the board and get on with the recruitment, the preseason
39:45and start looking at plans ahead. But he's kind of, his message there, he's looking for a thumbs up from
39:51the club owner and maybe there'll be some sort of statement over the next few weeks and to say, yeah,
39:55we're backing Ruud to get the club back up next year because it can happen. There's obviously frustration.
39:59I think the lack of goals are home. Obviously, the supporters are definitely problems at board
40:03level. Ruud mentioned there like recruitment in January and didn't quite happen. So there's stuff
40:11to fix. And let's hope Ruud is the man to do it. It's been a tough few months for him, but I think
40:15he's handled himself well. But fingers crossed, he'll get that opportunity. You know, as a manager,
40:20when are you preparing for the next? So now, obviously, they've been relegated. I wouldn't say it's a
40:25relief, but if he's the man to stay, like, he wants to know exactly what it is. Yeah, I think so,
40:29yeah. And you'd want that maybe from the back and from the board. Now that they're officially
40:35relegated. Yeah, of course. That's what you want the club to say. Yeah, you're the man. You've signed
40:40the contract. He's obviously admitted there. He's been obviously really disappointed with the results.
40:46Like, it's all right getting relegated. We can look at other teams. But I think that the points total is
40:50really poor and the lack of goals. I've mentioned it already. There's maybe no issues probably at
40:56board level. There seems to be noises. You know, the fans are frustrated with that. The fans were
41:01frustrated with the previous manager, even though Steve Cooper at the time was doing okay. I think
41:06he had 10 points after 13 games or whatever. And I think they scored the most games bar one. But
41:11Ruud's coming. It's not quite happened. But then you need to clear out something new in the summer,
41:15get ready for the championship. And again, hopefully Ruud's the man to do that. I mean,
41:20there's not been much for the fans here at the King Power to cheer either. That's nine games
41:24without a goal at home, which breaks a Premier League record at the top.
41:36Do you know what, Micah? If you're going to keep clean sheets as a defender, you need to strike us to
41:40score in order to take advantage. I remember that. That was under Stuart Pearce, wasn't it? All the way,
41:46what, 2007? And I just used to go into the game thinking, guys, come on, please, just score one.
41:53All right, we're under pressure every single game. And when you see them stats, they're very,
41:58very dumb. Yeah. Is that when you put David James up front? I think that was the season before.
42:02If they got really desperate, they could have put mic up. I'd make my debut up front, you know that.
42:08Yes, correct. You had a bit of experience in that area. But yeah, if you're going to,
42:13that wasn't your job to score the goals. That's all right, isn't it? Yeah, I was, you know,
42:17always nice to dig up your old trauma as well. Always stats against me. Was that you, was it?
42:23You shall remain nameless. So Leicester confirmed as relegated to the championship. Ipswich are on
42:32the brink. Let's hear from their manager, Kieran McKenna. We've talked a lot in football lately about
42:38how hard it is to make that transition now for clubs coming out of the championship into the
42:43Premier League. We're seeing a pattern emerging where the three that go up tend to be the three
42:48that go down. How big are the challenges that you face and how hard is it to bridge that gap,
42:54Kieran? Yeah, I think again, I think we're in a different category than Leicester and Southampton,
42:59to be honest. So there's the scale of the challenge already is huge. And, you know,
43:03I'm sure them clubs can speak from their perspective, but they're clubs who were one
43:06season out of the Premier League after a decade plus in the Premier League. So their version is very
43:12different than our version. There'll be some similarities, but you know, our challenges are also the fact
43:17that we're coming from two divisions below and it's 22 years since we're at this level. So look,
43:22the financial jump is huge. From the financial jump comes player quality, which is the biggest
43:28difference, player athleticism and a whole load of other things that make it a challenge. So it's
43:32really difficult. I don't think it's impossible. I think even for us this year, coming from League
43:36One and two seasons, I don't think it's been impossible. I think if some margins had went our way
43:41in lots and lots of games, we could have more points and we could still be competing. But it's very,
43:46very difficult. And you know, it's up to the teams who want to do it to find a way to scale that jump
43:51as best possible. And I think, you know, with the position that we've been in, we've tried our best
43:55in lots of areas this year. And I think hopefully the club will and we'll be back here again soon,
44:00and we'll be in a much stronger position to do it. Well, as Kieran McKenna said, they're coming up,
44:06they're fresh to the Premier League. They don't have that recent experience of being in the top flight.
44:11And so they're different in that sense. But Southampton are so far adrift at the bottom.
44:16Is it one of either Ipswich or Leicester who are better placed to make an immediate return?
44:21I don't know. You don't know the ins and outs and what's going to happen this summer,
44:23which obviously, which players are going to sell and which players are going to buy. And
44:27I'm sure a number of the players, all the clubs are relegated with clauses. Also, you have situations
44:32that Leicester, Varady, some of the older players, what do you do with them? So I think all the
44:36different challenges. I agree with what he said there about obviously they did have back-to-back
44:40promotions and maybe it all came a little bit quick, but obviously you've done fantastically well.
44:45But yeah, I think they all have different challenges, but I think there's no reason why
44:48the three teams who go down like we saw in the last few years can't be in a position to be in the mix,
44:53obviously, to come back up. We've seen that previously, but it's obviously a lot of work to
44:57be done in the summer. And again, we go back to that same word all the time, that recruitment,
45:01players, the championship. We obviously have to look at the wages situation.
45:04Yeah, but they did spend a lot of money. 148 million in the summer and January.
45:09He's playing it down there. I understand what it means by sort of the experience. I get that side
45:15of it. But I thought Ipswich were doing a lot better. I think on the season, look, energetic,
45:20some good quality players, getting the lap. Kajusti on loan from Napoli, Leif Davies was running
45:24down the wing, but it just fell. I think a bit that catches us all with the teams who come up. We know
45:29it's going to be a struggle. I had it with Sunderland, but I think it's the lack of wins,
45:33all these. And the same last year, Sheffield United, I think, conceded over 100 goals. You look
45:37at sort of, the points told you, I think it's surely you could compete a little bit more,
45:40be harder to beat. But all of them have found it so difficult to get at some sort of foothold
45:45or to compete week in week out. They've had the odd good day, of course, some of them.
45:49You look at their wins and the defeats, and obviously the goals for and against,
45:54it seems such a big gap that they've just found it all a bit too much. The managers mentioned
45:59they're obviously the physicality, the speed, the quality, the premiership.
46:03When you do get promoted, you're talking about recruitment, but it's hard to get top players,
46:07because a lot of the really good players, they don't want to go to a promoted team,
46:10because they don't want to be playing at that level. They don't want to be competing at the
46:13mid-table, or obviously competing for the big prizes. So that's a massive challenge. So even
46:17clubs like Gifsud, you might say, you've got 100-odd million to spend. It's attracting the right
46:20players. And sometimes these clubs have had to go and buy 11, 12 players. In an ideal world,
46:26you just want to buy two or three real quality players. You've got premiership experience,
46:30but you kind of can't afford them. Or you might be able to afford them, but you can't afford their
46:32wages. So you kind of spread it out, and you end up with lots of players who are still lacking that
46:37real quality to compete week in, week out in the premiership. And it just beats you up. I think,
46:42again, if you're going in every Monday, you're getting beaten at weekends. It affects you. It affects
46:45your family, the people at the training ground, and it's just a negative vibe at the training ground all the
46:50time. I'm sure you go to Liverpool to the team, they're competing. Everyone's in a good place.
46:53Everyone's got to spring in their step because they're winning. But when you're losing week in,
46:57week out, and I think it probably gets the stage for some of the players near the bottom or in their
47:01families, they're almost before the championship. They're before every weekend going out in the
47:04back of a victory. If you're losing every week, it affects the whole family. You suffer for it.
47:09I even think supporters, right? I sometimes think, you know, we talk about those yo-yo clubs and,
47:14you know, Southampton have been in that situation last few years. And like,
47:17as a supporter going there week in, week out, you've just not seen your team win a game.
47:20And you go to the championship, and you're winning every week. Everyone's in a good mood,
47:23aren't they? You know, it's just like, it's a big problem in the game now, this sort of gap
47:28between the teams coming up and the Premier League teams. And I think one of the biggest problems is,
47:32I think in the past, I think that, I think clubs are that well run now in terms of directors of
47:37football. And in the past, you'd always have almost like a basket case in the Premier League,
47:41where they do something mad in a transfer market, and they'd be a stable Premier League club.
47:45And before you know it, they'd be fighting relegation. I don't think we see that as much now,
47:49because teams have established in the Premier League, and they've got, you know, great facilities,
47:52year after year, they're getting that 100 million, the players that they're bringing in, you know,
47:57the squads that they've got. And you actually look at the Premier League, and you see the three
48:00promoted teams, you're thinking, whose place are they going to take? You know, who's going to be,
48:05who's going to drop down? And it's not 40 points. Well, it never really was, but we're talking 30 points now.
48:10West Tam are fourth bottom of the league. You look at some of their attacking players. There's no chance they'd ever go to. Yeah, West Tam and even Wolves a few months ago,
48:15are Wolves kind of shooting themselves in the foot? But they've got the rack to get up. Fulham kicked on,
48:21Bournemouth kicked on, Brighton kicked on. At some stage, you have to. But you think years ago,
48:25when the teams near the bottom, you think it all would maybe go to the last day. No, and same last year,
48:29some of the teams, they're done by Christmas. They're done by Christmas, and that's not, that's not good for anybody. I like McKenna. I think, I think,
48:35I think he's a very good coach. He's just been a lot of good coaches have been relegated,
48:40and they're bounced back. And I'm going back to Brian Clough, the great manager,
48:43we got relegated with Brian Clough. Eddie Howe went down with Bournemouth. You were one of them, weren't you?
48:47Well, that went down. Yeah, absolutely. Oh, sorry. No, I said, great coach,
48:52you waited to take them down. No, I didn't go down. Oh, didn't they? Do you get up before it happens?
48:55Yeah. You stopped something wrong there, Jamie. On that step up from the championship to the
49:02Premier League, I heard a striker once who hadn't played in the Premier League talk about making the
49:06step up and said, it was like walking into a game of air hockey and the puck was just flying around,
49:10and it was difficult to, to kind of get his head around it. I was just changing the subject.
49:13Let's take a look at what's coming up for you on Sky Sports. There is loads more live sport
49:25coming your way. Shouldn't have took me eight-piece old. The Monday Night Football,
49:30Tottenham Hotspur against Nottingham Forest, who start outside the top five. They're in sixth place.
49:36Can they get back into the Champions League spot? 6.30, Jamie's kept all his best stuff back
49:41Monday Night Football. Tuesday night is Manchester City against Aston Villa, 7 o'clock. Roy and I will
49:47be there for that one. Big game in terms of the Champions League places. And then on Wednesday,
49:53if Crystal Palace win that game, Liverpool will be champions. Can Arsenal take it to the weekend or
49:59even further? 7.30 on Sky Sports Premier League for all the build-up to that one. Next Sunday,
50:06Bournemouth against Manchester United. That gets things underway from 1 o'clock on Sky Sports Premier
50:10League. And then if Arsenal, if Arsenal aren't beaten by Crystal Palace, it will go to Liverpool
50:17against Tottenham Hotspur. It will be in Liverpool's hands to win the Premier League title. 4 o'clock
50:23on Sky Sports Premier League.
50:29But now from all of us here in a very peaceful studio at the King Power, bye-bye.