This is The Guardian.

Hello and welcome to the Guardian Football Weekly. Liverpool beat Rail Madrid 1-0 in the Champions League.

But for Thibaulted, it would have been much, much more.

This was Arnold Slotside's best performance of the season. Last year's midfield three, all brilliant, and Connor Bradley giving Vincius absolutely nothing while the panto of booing Trent Alexander Arnold happened over on the other side. Elsewhere, Mickey Van de Venn turns into Sun Hung Min and Gareth Bairn at the same time and scores the kind of goal you see in a computer game and immediately think this game is unrealistic. You don't get those goals in actual football.

Arsenal win again. at the same time and scores the kind of goal you see in a computer game and immediately think this game is unrealistic. You don't get those goals in actual football. Arsenal winner get a clean cheat, obviously. Also, there's a statement win for Byron at PSG. We'll look back on Sunderland's draw with Everton, Gary O'Neill, turning down wolves and discuss Mary Earps and Hannah Hampton. As always, we'll answer your questions and that's today's Guardian Football Weekly. On the panel today, Barry Glendanning, hello. Hi, Max. Now, welcome Johnny Lou. Hello. And hello, Nikki Bandini. Morning. Let's start that at An Anfield, Liverpool, One, Rail Madrid, Neil, brilliant performance from Liverpool. We kind of said on Monday that maybe Liverpool weren't as back as some has reported,

but this feels like a very significant result and a win they totally deserve.

Yeah, I think it was a brilliant performance, actually. And I think there is always a danger,

and I think we've seen this not just with Liverpool, but with all the big clubs this season,

there's always a tendency to overreact to one result, one performance.

Liverpool were, you know, they were going to walk the title earlier,

weren't they?

And then they were incredibly lucky, and then they were finished in crisis,

slot eternally balled, and now they're back again. I think what we're seeing is obviously

quite still a slightly fitful and inconsistent team that is capable of generating a really high

level when it clicks, when the new signings and when the when the parts all fit together.

And that's what we saw.

I think, you know, the main issue, the main factor really is the fact that that midfield appears to be back.

I mean, McAllister has had a, you know, he's been injured for parts of this season,

and now he's back, and they've've got gravenbush and they've got

shobber sly not playing it right back right back in the centre and they just look like a more

functional team they look like a more functional organized confident driven team with with those

three in the centre and it's no secret i think that that when they when they haven't had those three

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