Liverpool told Arsenal star would be perfect long-term Mo Salah replacement

Manchester City legend Sergio Aguero said Michael Owen is his favourite Liverpool player of all time.The five-time Premier League winner played against plenty of Anfield legends during his ten-year stay at the Citizens.Aguero turned out against the likes of Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez, as well as current Reds’ heroes Sadio Mane, and Mohamed Salah.He faced off against the Reds on 22 occasions in his career, contributing seven goals and four assists in many memorable meetings against the Merseysiders. However, Aguero snubbed all the legends he starred against, stating Owen was his favourite ever Reds player.“Michael Owen” was Aguero’s firm reply when a fan tweeted him, asking who his favourite Liverpool player was.After bursting through the ranks at Anfield, Owen became one of the best strikers in world football at Anfield.He contributed an outstanding 158 goals and 53 assists in 297 appearances for the Premier League giants, between 1996 and 2004.

THE Crown's Emma Corrin, Olly Alexander and Pose's Billy Porter lead the way as the star-studded British LGBT Awards shortlist is revealed. The actress, who plays Princess Diana in Netflix's royal drama, Years and Years singer Olly and US star Billy feature in the Celebrity of the Year category.

Liverpool fans loving the midfielder even more than they did already.The Brazilian prodded the Reds in front five minutes before half-time away to Burnley on Sunday, his sixth goal of the season in all competitions.His strike proved to be the only goal of the game at Turf Moor on Sunday, with Liverpool's win closing the gap on Premier League leaders Manchester City back down to nine points.Jurgen Klopp's side also have a game in hand on the reigning champions as they bid to keep the title race alive.Following his match-winning performance, Fabinho was interviewed in the mixed zone following the match, with Reds fans loving one of his answers.Fabinho was visibly shocked when the reporter asked him: “They had a lot of chances today didn't they Burnley?”The 28-year-old scrunched his face and laughed as he responded by saying: "Did they?", before admitting they had a couple as he smiled at the reporter.Liverpool fans lapped up Fabinho's response to the question and soon flocked to social media to react to the interview.Will Liverpool catch Manchester City in the Premier League title race? Let us know in the comments section below.One fan tweeted: “Yes lad, that was the perfect answer.”Another supporter added: “I love this guy, he knew exactly what to say.”A third fan also wrote: “Fab knows ball, why on earth would you ask him this?”Bottom of the table Burnley had mustered five shots on target during the match, one more than the amount Liverpool had.However, a majority of the hosts' best chances came from offside positions, with the linesman's flag often being raised once their dangerous attacks had ended.Fabinho's goal on Sunday was his fifth in his last six appearances in all competitions, whilst he has now scored three in

Manchester City remain at the Premier League summit with Liverpool and Chelsea trailing behind.

Liverpool midfield general Fabinho has enjoyed quite the season for Jurgen Klopp’s side. The Brazilian bundled home the winning goal in Liverpool’s crucial 1-0 away victory against Burnley at Turf Moor.It was the former Monaco ace’s third Premier League goal in four matches; an impressive return for a player who is known for his defensive exploits.In just 18 League appearances, Fabinho has already scored more goals than his previous three seasons with the club put together.

Jurgen Klopp’s side to secure the points and keep the deficit between themselves and the reigning Premier League champions to nine points.While the Brazilian midfielder was the one with the goalscoring touch, it was the heroics of Alisson Becker in the Liverpool goal who really ensured the points went home with the Merseysiders.The Brazilian made four crucial saves in the first half from Jay Rodriguez and Burnley summer signing Wout Weghorst.However, Sean Dyche’s side were the ones who were left to rue their missed opportunities – Daily Star Sport takes a look at four things Klopp got right against BurnleyFor the first time since their 2-2 home draw against Brighton and Hove Albion in October, Klopp deployed the terrifying trio of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, and Roberto Firmino all together in the same frontline.This was the most surprising decision the German made, considering Diogo Jota’s impressive form in the absence of Salah and Mane.Jota has operated in the ‘hole’ beautifully, and even scored an impressive brace in the Reds’ 2-0 home victory against Leicester City. However, Burnley’s assertive and aggressive defending style called for the subtlety and unpredictability of Firmino, rather than the agility and speed of Jota.And the Brazilian was a strong focal point at the spearhead of Liverpool’s attack, finding space in-between the Clarets’ midfield and defence, and providing Salah and Mane with a perfect back board.Like Mane and Salah, Firmino’s contract is also set to expire in the summer of 2023 - Liverpool supporters will surely hope the club pens him to a new deal.

Liverpool coaches in training while one piece of outrageous skill left Sadio Mane for dead.The 18-year-old has only just returned to fitness after nearly five months out with a serious injury to his ankle.The winger has already scored when he netted against Cardiff in the FA Cup on his comeback match while also looking in fine fettle against Leicester.And footage has emerged of Elliott putting on a real show in training with a sublime piece of skill.In a video that has gone viral on social media, the youngster made a pass to Mohamed Salah - sounds pretty basic right?Well not in this case, because despite losing his balance after receiving the ball from Naby Keita, Elliott protected the ball from Ibrahima Konate before scooping it to Mohamed Salah - while on the floor, in one motion.

Manchester United and, in particular, Tottenham were both keen on the 25-year-old.But Colombia international Diaz opted to make the move to Anfield in the January transfer window.The winger picked up an assist on his Reds debut in the FA Cup victory over Cardiff and impressed in the Premier League against Leicester.Spurs were gutted to miss out on Diaz, and United may end up feeling he is one that got away from them in the market too.Ultimately, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp played a big role in luring the talented attacker to Merseyside.Discussing the Liverpool deal, Diaz’s father – Luis Manuel Diaz - told Portuguese newspaper A Bola: “The impact was big, many people have been talking about him and his qualities.“Several clubs tried to sign him, but he wanted Liverpool for what they play and for the manager.“He sees in Klopp the same commitment and demand he had at FC Porto with [Sergio] Conceição. How good a signing is Luis Diaz for Liverpool? Let us know in the comments section.Want to be on the ball with all of the latest football news?Well then sign up for the brilliant Daily Star football email newsletter!From the latest transfer news to the agenda-setting stories, get it all in your email inbox - don't miss a thing.It only takes a matter of seconds.Simply type your email address into the box at the top of this article and hit 'subscribe'.And that's it, job done.

Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool are not in a position to make Manchester City nervous in the Premier League title race just yet.

Liverpool star Luis Diaz was so good on his Premier League debut against Leicester that he had the BT Sport pundits “drooling” over him, according to Michael Owen.There is a lot of excitement around Diaz, who joined Liverpool in the January transfer window from Porto for an initial fee of £37.5million, which could increase by a further £12.5m.Liverpool fans got a chance to see him for the first time in the 3-1 win over Cardiff City in the FA Cup on the weekend, but the Colombian international made his full debut at Anfield on Thursday night. He didn’t disappoint, putting in an exciting performance on the left side of Jurgen Klopp ’s front three as the hosts ran out 2-0 winners over Leicester.

READ MORE: Coleen Rooney's brutally honest answer about how her marriage survived Wayne's brothel visits As a teenager, stories emerged in 2004 saying Wayne, who was an Everton star at the time, had visited a brothel multiple times with pals on drunken nights out. After he married Coleen in 2008, further stories emerged in 2010 about a threesome with escorts Jenny Thompson and Helen Wood which happened the previous year, as well as date nights out with Jenny, according to the Mirror.

Jamie Carragher has slammed the decision which saw Mohamed Salah miss out on taking a crucial penalty in the African Cup of Nations final shootout.Sadio Mane failed to convert an early spot kick in the showpiece final as both his Senegal and Salah's Egypt failed to break the deadlock across 120 minutes of action.The match was then decided by a penalty shootout with Liverpool's Senegalese star drilling home the decisive spot kick after the Pharaohs fluffed two of their efforts.However, his fellow Reds forward Salah was denied the opportunity to take an all-important penalty after being pencilled in for Egypt's fifth - only for the final to be decided before he had a chance to step up.Former Liverpool defender Carragher took to Twitter to express his outrage and bemusement at the costly decision which meant Egypt's talisman was prevented from taking a spot kick.The Sky Sports pundit posted: "That is why your best penalty taker should never go fifth. Mo Salah not taking a penalty for Egypt in a shootout in a final is madness.

Liverpool debut on Sunday as he came off the bench during their 3-1 win over Cardiff in the FA Cup, and he was clearly in awe as he received a warm ovation from the Anfield crowd.But it's not the first time that he's been star-struck this week, as the £37.5million signing was left stunned as he met Liverpool giant Virgil van Dijk.As well as towering over most other people at 6'3", van Dijk has a certain aura that follows him, mainly because he is one of the best centre-backs in the world.

Africa Cup of Nations crown, at the expense of a heartbroken Egyptian side.The stage was set for a blockbuster AFCON final, with Liverpool's two biggest stars facing off for African bragging rights, and it was always going to end in tears for one of them.Unfortunately for Mohamed Salah, it was his turn to suffer disappointment despite a spirited performance, and the Egypt captain didn't even get to take a penalty as his side crashed out at the final hurdle.However, the two Liverpool team-mates shared a heartfelt embrace at the end of the match, as Mane went over to comfort a distraught Salah.It was a second final defeat for Salah who had to settle for a runners-up medal back in 2017, but Mane's winning penalty earned Senegal their first ever success in the tournament.Once the initial celebrations had died down, Mane immediately went over to his Liverpool team-mate to console the tearful winger, in a touching gesture the highlights the bond between the pair.It was certainly a moment that Jurgen Klopp and all Liverpool fans will be delighted to see, as there has been some speculation about tensions between the pair at times, after an infamous moment during a Premier League clash against Burnley.Extra-time and penalties has been the story of this year's AFCON, but it looked like that wouldn't be the case in the final, as Senegal were awarded a penalty after just three minutes.However, with some help from Salah who was seen advising Egypt goalkeeper Gabaski, Mane's spot-kick was saved in dramatic fashion.The game ended goalless, and Egypt headed for their third penalty shootout of the tournament, although when it mattered most, they couldn't come up with the goods.Mane made up for his earlier miss with the winning strike, as

Jamie Carragher has compared Mohamed Salah's Africa Cup of Nations penalty shootout decision to Cristiano Ronaldo's against Spain for Portugal.

Mohamed Salah was brutally shut down by referee Victor Gomes during the Africa Cup of Nations final on Sunday.The South African official sarcastically tried to hand Salah his cards and his whistle, as if to say 'would you like to ref the game, pal?', following a series of complaints made by the Egyptian.The Liverpool man had been in the referee's ever since the fourth minute when he took issue with his decision to award Senegal an early penalty.Luckily for the Egyptians, goalkeeper Mohamed Abou Gabal saved Sadio Mane's spot-kick.But persistent whinging, from both sides, didn't let up and after half an hour Gomes was forced to put his foot down with Salah."That’s code for 'Shut the f*** up'," wrote on fan on social media."Fair play to the referee, Salah didn't want any of that," tweeted another."Nice one Victor Gomes for flying the South African flag," a third wrote.Did Senegal deserve to win the Africa Cup of Nations? Let us know what you think in the comments section below...The final was eventually settled on penalties when 120 minutes of football failed to separate the two sides.Senegal were crowed champions with Mane netting the winning penalty, redeeming himself for his earlier in the miss, to hand his nation its first ever Africa Cup of Nations victory.

Sadio Mane showed his class shortly after fluffing his lines from the penalty spot during the Africa Cup of Nations final on Sunday.The Senegal forward had the chance to put his side ahead just four minutes into the tie but saw his shot excellently parried by Egypt goalkeeper Mohamed Abou Gabal. But rather than hang his head in shame, Mane lifted his arms in the air in an immediate attempt to rally the crowd.In response, Liverpool fans were quick to lavish the 29-year-old, who has gone head-to-head with club teammate Mohamed Salah this evening, with praise."Top mentality," wrote one Liverpool fan."Few players would do this if they failed like that.

Liverpool stars Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah were seen exchanging a few stern words after Senegal were awarded a penalty in the Africa Cup of Nations final on Sunday.Senegal defender Saliou Ciss was wiped out by Egypt's Mohamed Abdelmonem, giving Mane the chance to put his nation in front after just four minutes.The referee's decision looked fairly straightforward, but it didn't stop Salah and Mane confronting one another as the Egyptian's protested.Just minutes earlier, the two were spotted warmly embracing one another in the tunnel before kick off.Mane stepped up but saw his penalty expertly saved by goalkeeper Mohamed Abou Gabal, who had been the hero for Egypt during the shootout in the semi-final against hosts Cameroon, as well as in shootout against Ivory Coast in the round of 16.Both Salah and Mane have been in good form throughout the tournament, scoring five goals between them so far.The two have formed a formidable partnership at club level for the past four-and-half seasons, leading Liverpool to Champions League victory in 2019, and to Premier League glory in 2020.Will Salah and Mane both be playing for Liverpool next season? Let us know what you think in the comments section...Despite being good friends, the two have clashed before - most notably against Burnley three years ago when Mane lost his cool when Salah opted not to pass to him several times in the box during the game.After getting subbed off, Mane was seen shouting towards the bench and threw his jacket on the floor in anger, before venting at manager Jurgen Klopp and his teammates on the bench.

FA Cup clash between Liverpool and Cardiff.McCoist, 59, was on co-commentary duty for ITV Sport alongside Sam Matterface at Anfield.Jurgen Klopp's side eased into the fifth round having established a 3-0 lead in the second half, but did concede with 10 minutes to go as 19-year-old Rubin Colwill netted for the Championship outfit.It was a well taken finish which flew past Reds goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher thanks to the large amount of backswing he had put into the shot.But McCoist was adamant the "secret" to the goal was that there wasn't any backswing involved.Fans jumped on his comments, with one tweeting: "I really like Ally McCoist’s commentary, but he just said 'no backswing' about four times, whilst we watched a clip of a goal where the scorer took a massive backswing!""Ally Mccoist - no backswing. There was mate," corrected a bemused viewer.Another cried: "What is McCoist watching?! 'No backswing' he’s literally back heeled his a*** lining that up.""7 replays showing backswing.

Manchester United star Roy Keane has revealed that Liverpool star Caoimhin Kelleher used to play as a striker before he established himself as a goalkeeper.The 23-year-old has gradually become a familiar face at Anfield with manager Jurgen Klopp putting his faith in the shot-stopper in cup competitions.But Kelleher appears to have not had a hope of ever stepping foot onto a Premier League club’s pitch if he didn’t change his position at a young age.Speaking on ITV, Keane said: “Apparently when he was younger he started off as an outfield player; possibly a striker. He obviously wasn’t very good because they pushed back.

Liverpool cruised past Cardiff into the fifth-round of the FA Cup just five months after he suffered from a horrific dislocated ankle.The former Fulham youngster was stretchered off during the Premier League clash against Leeds back in September, earning a huge cheer from the Anfield crowd after entering the action this weekend.After Diogo Jota and Takumi Minamino had put Jurgen Klopp's side 2-0 ahead, Elliott crashed a fine strike past Dillon Phillips before Rubin Colwill's consolation.Although fans were delighted to see January signing Luis Diaz make his first appearance for the club, it was 18-year-old Elliott who drew the most praise on social media.After seeing the winger's raw emotion with his celebration following his first goal for the club, one fan wrote on Twitter: "This kid is going straight to the top."With a second adding: "Great goal that is! Excellent control & finish. He deserved it."A third continued: "Completely changed the game when he came on too, upped the tempo, great movement.