Liverpool lose to PSG, Salah holds back from interview, FA Cup semi-final date

Liverpool failed to bounce back from a 4-0 defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup with a 2-0 defeat away at Paris Saint-Germain.

 

However, the Reds will at least be thankful they still have a puncher’s chance in the second-leg on a night PSG could have scored five or six.

 

Mohamed Salah, who leaves at the end of the season, was an unused substitute and held back from an interview with TNT Sports after.

 

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But Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard, who was on talkSPORT earlier in the week, commended the Egyptian for an unseen post-match act.

 

Meanwhile, Barcelona slipped to a shock 2-0 loss at home to Atletico Madrid after Pau Cubarsi was sent off just before half-time

 

‘Now is the time’

 

Had things turned out differently, Andy Robertson would have been at one of Liverpool’s Premier League rivals for the rest of the season.

 

The Scot was heavily linked with a move to Tottenham in the January window, where he could have secured his long-term future.

 

Instead, Robertson stayed put and will leave the Reds upon the expiry of his contract.

 

In an interview with Liverpool’s club site, Robertson opened up on why he turned down the move as well as the reason he feels now is the right time to bring down the curtain on his illustrious career at Anfield.

 

“It’s never easy leaving a club like Liverpool, it has been a huge part of mine and my family’s life for the last nine years,” Robertson said.

 

“But for me, players move on, other people move on – the thing that stays the same is the club and obviously the fans. I’ve had an amazing nine years here.

 

“Look, I think it has been well-documented, especially over the last year or so, I’ve had opportunities to leave and I’ve not taken them because of how difficult it is to leave this club. And I wouldn’t change that for the world.

 

“But I know football moves on, I know teams move on and I think now is the time for me to move on and go wherever my next move is and wherever my career takes me.”

 

Great Scot!

 

Liverpool announced this season would be Andy Robertson’s last at the club.

 

The Scottish defender was out of contract in June and was open to extending his stay in Merseyside.

 

But that will no longer happen, with the club confirming the news in a statement.

 

“Liverpool FC can confirm Andy Robertson will bring his Reds career to an end at the conclusion of the current season,” the statement read.

 

“After nine hugely successful campaigns at Anfield, the Scotland captain will leave the club upon the expiry of his contract this summer.

 

“He will do so as a genuine Liverpool legend, having played a fundamental role in the successes of recent years over the course of his 373 appearances to date.

 

“Signed from Hull City in 2017, Robertson has won two Premier League titles, a Champions League, the FA Cup and two League Cups, as well as the FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup and Community Shield.

 

“However, celebration of Robertson’s Liverpool legacy is firmly on hold until the conclusion of the campaign, with the No.26 fully focused on helping the Reds end 2025-26 as successfully as possible.

 

Clarification

 

Chelsea and Enzo Fernandez have ‘cleared the air’, according to his agent Javier Pastore.

 

Fernandez cast doubt on his long-term future at Chelsea during the international break amid speculation over a move to Real Madrid.

 

“I really like Madrid – it’s similar to Buenos Aires,” he said, and also said he could see himself calling the Spanish capital home.

 

Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior then announced that he was suspended for their 7-0 win against Port Vale last weekend.

 

He will also miss the visit of Manchester City on Sunday, whilst talkSPORT understands that he is open to joining Madrid.

 

Speaking to TOP Mercato, his agent Pastore said: “We’ve already talked about this in recent days.

 

“These are statements he made without any intention of causing problems at Chelsea.

 

“He’s the captain, one of the team’s leaders, and he’s shown his best form on the pitch this season. He was simply talking about a city.

 

“Then there were a lot of interviews in a short period where he talked about his future. The media mixed things up and started saying he was going to leave Chelsea.

 

“There’s absolutely nothing to it. We’re on the same page with Chelsea.

 

“We made peace yesterday and the day before between Chelsea and the player. There were never really any problems. We cleared the air.”

 

Pastore added: “What happened, happened. We explained to the player that, even though he hadn’t done anything wrong, he shouldn’t have said that.

 

“He’s only 25. He’s still young, he still has things to learn. We explained to the club that he said it without malice, that he made a mistake.

 

“He naturally apologised to the club, his teammates, the coach, the sporting director, everyone. We’re all on the same page. We simply had to clear up the misunderstanding.”

 

 

Building up

 

England have announced the venues for their two pre-World Cup friendly matches.

 

The Three Lions will take on New Zealand and Costa Rica before their Group L campaign begins on June 17.

 

Up first on June 6 are New Zealand at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, with kick-off set for 4pm local time (9pm UK time).

 

Four days later, they meet Costa Rica at the Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, with kick-off scheduled for the same time.

 

The England squad will then travel to Kansas City, Missouri for their World Cup basecamp.

 

 

Simon Jordan has assessed Leicester City and their failed appeal against a six-point deduction.

 

The Foxes were deducted six points in February after being found to have breached Premier League financial rules in the 2023/24 season.

 

As a result, Leicester are currently staring down the barrel of relegation to League One as they sit 22nd and a point from safety.

 

It was announced on Wednesday that they have failed in their appeal, meaning their six-point deduction remains valid.

 

“You’d agree with me, and I’m not sticking the boot into Leicester or their ownership, but this is an unbelievable fall from grace, isn’t it?” Jim White asked on White and Jordan.

 

And Jordan explained: “Yeah, I mean it is, and you have to ask yourself what’s happened.

 

“We saw them in decline, we saw them stopping investing in players, we saw Brendan Rodgers talking about certain things, and other managerial appointments that they made.

 

“They talked about investing in their training ground, they weren’t going to buy so many players because they were going to invest in the facilities.

 

“I sort of raised my eyebrow at the time and said, ‘That’s wonderful, but you’ve got to do both, probably’.

 

“They dropped out, they came back, and they’ve dropped again, and now they’ve dropped really (far)… and this idea that you can get out of jail by constantly breaking (rules)… they got away with things, let’s have it right, this is long overdue.

 

“Leicester got away with it, they got out of the stuff that they were in by having a very good lawyer that orchestrated technicalities that put them beyond the reach of the Premier League and the EFL, in the same breath.

 

“They were not accountable – in the season they got relegated two or three years ago, they got let out of it by the Premier League because they were under their jurisdiction, and they didn’t get caught by the EFL.

 

“And to some extent, they cheated their way through the EFL in the season they went up, because they didn’t do what everyone else in the league had to do, which was comply with the governance of putting budgets in place, and to suggest they complied with EFL’s profit and sustainability (rules).

 

“And they didn’t supply those budgets because they didn’t want to, and they said they didn’t have to because when the budgets were supposed to be put in, they were still a Premier League club, albeit on the cusp of relegation.”

 

 

Backing himself

 

Harry Maguire believes he’s one of the best defenders around.

 

The centre-back has endured a difficult few years at Manchester United but regained his form throughout the current campaign.

 

Maguire has put pen to paper on a new deal at Old Trafford, and returned to England duty last month.

 

Speaking to the media via The Athletic, he commented on his World Cup chances, with the 33-year-old ‘desperate’ to go.

 

“Whatever role the manager would want me for, whether that’s starting or deciding games late on…

 

“I still believe, even at my age, I’m arguably one of the best defenders in the world in both boxes.

 

“I don’t think that’s open to question, really.”

 

 

In the diary

 

The FA Cup semi-final dates are now in.

 

We are down to the four remaining teams in this years’s competition, with each match being played at Wembley Stadium.

 

Manchester City thrashed Liverpool 4-0, whilst Chelsea thumped Port Vale 7-0 in the quarter-finals.

 

Southampton shocked Arsenal with a 2-1 victory, before Leeds United beat West Ham United 4-2 on penalties after a thrilling 2-2 draw.

 

Fans can now make preparations for the semi-finals, with both dates and times listed below:

 

April 25 @ 5:15pm – Manchester City v Southampton

 

April 26 @ 3pm – Chelsea v Leeds United

 

Taking action

 

Liverpool fan group Spion Kop 1906 are protesting against the club’s ticket price increase by removing their flags from Anfield.

 

The Reds announced towards the end of March that the price of general admission tickets will rise for the next three seasons.

 

These changes will be in line with the CPI (Consumer Price Index) annual inflation rate.

 

Adult season tickets are set to increase between £21.50 and £27 next season, which is no more than £1.42-per-game.

 

Adult general admission prices will also rise between £1.25 and £1.75-per-person, per matchday.

 

In response to the news, Spion Kop 1906, who organise the flags and banners at Anfield’s Kop End, have released a statement.

 

They will remove their displays from the ground after the Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain on April 14.

 

“Since the announcement regarding future ticket pricing, we have been in discussions as a group regarding our response.” they said.

 

“As always, we will pay our respects at the closest game to the anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, which will be the PSG game.

 

“After much consultation, all Spion Kop 1906 flags will no longer be present at Anfield at the remaining fixtures. We feel we have been left with no option, year on year the rising costs are pricing more fans out of football. Fans are increasingly reaching their breaking point as football becomes unaffordable.

 

“We must take a stand against the rising cost of football, we feel there’s a value to being valued. The culture and traditions, which have been passed down by previous generations must be preserved, with football remaining accessible to future generations.

 

“We, the fans, are the heartbeat of the football club; the same heartbeat that Liverpool Football Club market for a pound note. We urge FSG to remember that our club, should embody the identity of its surrounding community and resonate with the values of the local area.

 

“What is Anfield without its heartbeat? Do the right thing for the future of our game. Listen to the heartbeat.

 

 

Spurs star setback

 

Mohammed Kudus reportedly faces a longer spell out injured.

 

The Ghanaian international has not played for Tottenham Hotspur since their 1-1 draw with Sunderland in January.

 

Kudus picked up a thigh injury and was set to return this month, but the Sun say he has suffered a setback.

 

It is not clear as to what the issue is, but the 25-year-old may need to undergo surgery.

 

Spurs could therefore be without him during their fight against relegation throughout the rest of the season.

 

Kudus may also be a doubt to play for Ghana at the World Cup.

 

 

Going to the wire

 

Celtic are firmly in contention for the Scottish Premiership title, and Martin O’Neill is remaining cautious on his side’s chances.

 

After their 2-1 win at Dundee on Sunday, Celtic are only three points adrift of leaders Hearts and two behind Old Firm rivals Rangers.

 

The league splits into the top six and bottom six after this weekend, with Celtic competing in the former until the end of the season.

 

They will host Hearts on the final day, but manager O’Neill is not looking too far into the future amid their tough run of fixtures.

 

“I think that our result against Dundee last weeks keeps us in it,” he told talkSPORT on White and Jordan.

 

“Had we lost that game, then I think it would have been a long way back for us, if that was the case. But we’re fighting strongly still, at this minute.

 

“We have this split now, where we play Rangers and Hearts, and they play each other as well.

 

“The other games are pretty difficult – we’re at home to Falkirk, we’re away at Hibs (Hibernian) and we’re away at Motherwell.

 

“Essentially, those are the best teams in the SPL, so it’s going to be exciting, I think. But for us, not just playing it down, but we’re still playing catch-up

 

Get him in

 

Marco Materazzi believes Chelsea should make Cesc Fabregas their new manager.

 

The Blues brought in Liam Rosenior from sister club Strasbourg as successor to Enzo Maresca in January.

 

After a promising start, Rosenior oversaw a run of four consecutive defeats before the March international break.

 

Chelsea smashed Port Vale 7-0 to reach the FA Cup semi-finals upon their return, but Materazzi thinks another change is needed.

 

He has called for the west Londoners to hire their former midfield star Fabregas, who has excelled with Como in Italy.

 

“I was at Everton against Chelsea (Everton won 3-0),” the World Cup winner said when speaking to Hajper via Sportskeeda.

 

“I was at the FIFA Club World Cup final. With Enzo Maresca, they were a totally different team.

 

“What I saw in Liverpool was an easy game for Everton. Chelsea did not impress me. I think they have to change.

 

“They are a young team and I don’t know if they have the best manager for what Chelsea need right now.

 

“They have to try for Cesc Fabregas this summer.”

 

Blueprint

 

Simon Jordan believes Liverpool could have learned something from their rivals Chelsea before facing Paris Saint-Germain.

 

The Blues were up against the Parisians in the Champions League last 16 and impressed in the first leg away from home.

 

Although they lost 5-2, and later 8-2 on aggregate, Jordan says they showed teams how to play against the reigning champions.

 

“We saw what can be done to PSG,” he said on White and Jordan after Liverpool’s defeat.

 

“I know that the outcome at the back end of the game for Chelsea was a poor one, when it looked like it really got away from them by losing 5-2, but for significant periods of that game, Chelsea were the dominant team.

 

“They were controlling the tempo of the game, it looked like (only) one way the result was going to be, then they gave away a goal and all of a sudden, Chelsea capitulated and the inexperience argument comes into play, how they shipped three goals to lose 5-2.

 

“So we saw how Chelsea could play against PSG away, but Liverpool went in there and set up to purely damage limitate.”

 

 

 

Friendly in Finland

 

Manchester United and Wrexham will go head-to-head this summer.

 

They will meet at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium in Finland on July 18 for a pre-season friendly.

 

It will be United’s first fixture in their summer schedule, with a test against Rosenborg in Trondheim, Norway coming six days later.

 

They face Atletico Madrid on August 1, before also meeting Paris-Saint Germain and Leeds United on August 8 and 12 respectively.

 

Wrexham are first up against Wisla Krakow on July 11, with Leeds their post-United opponents on July 25.

 

Liverpool and Sunderland are also pre-season opponents for the Welsh

 

Backs turned

 

Liverpool fans aren’t ready to get behind their team for the second leg against Paris Saint-Germain, according to Adrian Durham.

 

The Reds will have to produce a huge performance in the second leg on Tuesday to knock out the reigning champions.

 

But talkSPORT’s Durham believes the fanbase no longer have faith in Arne Slot.

 

“I think there’s a reality that needs facing for the Liverpool fans, I think they have lost that connection with Arne Slot. It’s only months since they won the title, less than a year since they won the title.

 

“The connection is gone, because they don’t approve the football, the style that’s being played by Arne Slot’s Liverpool.

 

“Tthe players, some of them were brilliant but they’re not anymore, he doesn’t even bring Salah on, which is unthinkable a year ago.

 

“Virgil van Dijk will be 35 in the summer, is he really the leader that they need anymore? So there’s big question marks there.

 

“I’ve always felt that that Liverpool midfield isn’t the strongest, could be stronger. Some good individuals in there, but I’m not convinced by it.

 

((Ibrahima) Konate has been questioned. Has (Milos) Kerkez been a good signing? There’s so many question marks, and I think that means that the Liverpool fans don’t connect with the team as much as they used to.

 

“They’re going to need a big night at Anfield, they’re going to need a big atmosphere, I’m not quite sure the fans are ready to get behind this side.”

 

Forest fight

 

Nottingham Forest are yet to receive any formal bids for midfield star Elliot Anderson, talkSPORT understands.

 

However, they are braced for offers before the World Cup.

 

Manchester City and Manchester United have Anderson as a lead target, and have both have held talks with his camp.

 

City are optimistic that they can persuade the England international to join, and prepared to move even if Rodri signs a new deal.

 

United also view Anderson as their top choice ahead of Newcastle man Sandro Tonali and Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton.

 

 

King’s return?

 

Jamie O’Hara has backed the idea of Steven Gerrard becoming the Liverpool boss until the end of the season.

 

With Arne Slot under increasing pressure, Reds fan Yassa called the Sports Bar to suggest that club legend Gerrard should take charge.

 

He cited Roberto Di Matteo and the impact he made at his former club Chelsea when he became caretaker manager in March 2012.

 

Chelsea were 3-1 down to Napoli in the Champions League last 16, but came back in the second leg and went on to win the competition.

 

Yassa believes Gerrard could do something similar at Liverpool after their 2-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals.

 

“I don’t know who you’re going to bring in long-term, but let’s just talk short-term,” he said.

 

“If Roberto Di Matteo came in and did it at Chelsea, then let Steven Gerrard do it… for a month or two, at least.

 

“Now that fifth spot is guaranteed Champions League anyway, and we are fifth right now, I can see it as a positive.”

 

“I don’t disagree with that,” O’Hara replied.

 

“If they sacked Slot tomorrow, and they were like, ‘Right, Steven Gerrard’, he was at the game tonight doing commentary, if they said, ‘Look, we want you to take it’, he’d jump at the opportunity for one.

 

“And two, then you are talking about a Liverpool cauldron. Steven Gerrard’s Liverpool, 2-0 down at Anfield under the lights…”

 

 

 

Silent Salah

 

Mohamed Salah opted not to speak to the media after Liverpool’s defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.

 

The Reds legend, who leaves at the end of this season, was an unused substitute despite being sent to warm up on the touchline.

 

Salah has experienced a difficult season at Anfield and cut a glum figure on the bench as he watched his side lose in Paris.

 

He was out on the pitch after full-time though to take part in some cooldown exercises.

 

However, when walking past the TNT Sports panel as he made his way back into the dressing room, he chose not to join for an interview.

 

Salah, who still had a smile on his face, waved his hands as if to say he didn’t want to talk.

 

The 33-year-old then shook hands with Steven Gerrard, Steve McManaman and Laura Woods before heading down the tunnel.

 

9th Apr 2026, 08:28By Robert Calcutt

 

Down, but not out

 

Arne Slot believes Anfield can play a huge role in inspiring Liverpool to come from behind and beat Paris Saint-Germain.

 

The Reds lost 2-0 in their Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday night at the Parc des Princes.

 

Liverpool host the Parisians in the second leg on April 14, with Anfield a ground known for producing memorable European nights.

 

And Slot hopes the home crowd will play their part and give his side a much-needed boost to overturn the scoreline.

 

“Probably I have to refer to last season, what gives me the best feeling and I have to refer to the history of this club, how much impact Anfield can make for a performance.

 

“We were outplayed here last season, which led to a 1-0 win from us which was unbelievable. Paris Saint Germain was by far the better team today, could have scored more than two goals.

 

“But the good thing was that the players of Liverpool showed fighting spirit, kept going.

 

“Almost every time they had a shot, we had a lot of players behind the ball or protecting our box, which was necessary because if you don’t run back, these players, like the ones from City, are able to hurt you a lot.

 

“Last season at Anfield we played a completely different game and after 10 minutes could have been 2-0 up.

 

“But we need to have A, a better performance, and B, we definitely need our fans to help us to create an atmosphere where we can rise to a better level than we did so today.”

 

More from Van Dijk

 

The Liverpool captain on if 2-0 is a manageable scoreline to turn the game around at Anfield: “We shouldn’t forget we play against the European champions of last season and we see the quality they have… doesn’t really matter away or home, so we have to be spot on with everything we do.

 

“Hopefully, our fans can play a big part in that as well.

 

“I’ve been to many special games at Anfield and have been very lucky and privileged. The fans are the backbone of the club.”