Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville have been TV co-hosts for a number of years now, with their fiery debates drawing in viewers by the millions

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville have been TV co-hosts for a number of years now, with their fiery debates drawing in viewers by the millions

Latest Liverpool transfer news and gossip with updates on Borussia Dortmund duo Karim Adeyemi and Nico Schlotterbeck

Latest Liverpool transfer news and gossip with updates on Borussia Dortmund duo Karim Adeyemi and Nico Schlotterbeck

In the second part of his latest column, John Aldridge assesses the displays of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Curtis Jones against Chelsea while looking ahead to Arsenal showdown

In the second part of his latest column, John Aldridge assesses the displays of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Curtis Jones against Chelsea while looking ahead to Arsenal showdown

All the very latest on the Liverpool injury and availability situation before Wednesday's Champions League clash in Germany with RB Leipzig

All the very latest on the Liverpool injury and availability situation before Wednesday's Champions League clash in Germany with RB Leipzig

Steven Gerrard suffered defeat in Ettifaq's league match against Al-Orobah

Steven Gerrard suffered defeat in Ettifaq's league match against Al-Orobah

Liverpool are next up against RB Leipzig in the Champions League with Arne Slot facing some selection posers

Liverpool are next up against RB Leipzig in the Champions League with Arne Slot facing some selection posers

Xabi Alonso could be in line to succeed Pep Guardiola – and it’s an appointment that would get the approval of the current Manchester City manager.

The former Liverpool midfielder is reportedly in the running to take over from Guardiola at the Etihad next summer. According to The Athletic, Alonso and Ruben Amorim have been mentioned in conversations as City line up replacements in case of their current boss’ departure.

Guardiola’s contract runs until the end of the season, and he has been coy on whether he will extend his stay with the Premier League champions. The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss was approached for the England job before Thomas Tuchel’s appointment was confirmed last week.

City’s links with Alonso come just months after the Bayer Leverkusen boss was touted to take over from Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool. The 42-year-old instead decided to stay put in Germany, going on to win an unbeaten domestic double as well as leading his side to the Europa League final.

And his achievements caught the eye of Guardiola – the pair already know each other from their time at Bayern, when the City boss first saw Alonso’s management credentials.

“If you ask me [about] the job he is doing, honestly? Wow. He’s unbeaten, the only team in modern football that’s unbeaten in all competitions and fighting in that way with Bayern Munich,” Guardiola said when asked about Alonso amid those Liverpool rumors in February.

“But wow, not just the way they play, they didn’t lose one game in Europa League, in [DFB] Pokal in Germany, and Bundesliga, and the way they’re playing.

“I was incredibly fortunate to have him for one year and a half, two seasons, and he’s such an intelligent player, so intelligent. In that moment, yeah [I could see him becoming a manager].”

Xabi Alonso played under Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich

Guardiola added: “There are holding midfielders, when they ask you questions and how curious they are about the game you realise that this guy, if he will retire and will be at home, he will be annoyed and nothing to do, and says, ‘OK, I’m going to go back to my business in world football’.

“Normally holding midfielders like him, [Javier] Mascherano, [Sergio] Busquets – the holding midfielders I had, Rodri, [Ilkay] Gundogan – they will be involved in football for sure because they have a vision for a global perspective.

“[Alonso] was such an incredible, top-class player otherwise you cannot play for Liverpool, [Real] Madrid, and after Bayern Munich, and a part of Real Sociedad, you cannot play in these teams if you are not a top-class player, an intelligent one, skills and so on.

“He took a [lot of] good decisions and I’m so happy for him, he deserves it, he’s a lovely, lovely guy.”

Not only is City eyeing up Alonso as a potential successor to Guardiola, but it seems Leverkusen is also preparing for his departure. According to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, the Bundesliga champions are considering Sebastian Hoeness and Sandro Wagner as his heir next summer.

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The former goalkeeper was both criticised and praised for his actions at half-time during Liverpool's game against Chelsea

The former goalkeeper was both criticised and praised for his actions at half-time during Liverpool's game against Chelsea

Jamie Carragher believes Arsenal has a serious problem with red cards that could ultimately cost them in the Premier League title race with Liverpool and Manchester City.

The Gunners picked up their third red card of the season on Saturday in just their eighth league game, with William Saliba sent off at Bournemouth. The Frenchman’s dismissal proved costly, with Mikel Arteta’s side falling to a 2-0 defeat – their first loss of the season.

It also means Saliba will be missing for the visit of Liverpool on Sunday, which could prove to be a pivotal game in the race for this season’s title. Arteta has suggested Arsenal could launch an appeal against the decision though, especially after Tosin Adarabioyo avoided a red at Anfield.

Regardless of whether their appeal is successful or not, Arsenal’s disciplinary issues have proven a problem this season. They’ve failed to win any of the three games so far in which they have gone down to 10 men, dropping seven points in the process.

It’s far from a new problem either. As per BBC Sport, since Arteta took charge in December 2019, Arsenal has picked up 18 red cards – five more than anyone else in the same period. Liverpool has picked up just six in that time, while City have been shown nine reds.

Giving his thoughts on the Gunners’ disciplinary record, Carragher said on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football: "The biggest problem isn't the points, it's how often they are getting red cards. It has got to stop.

William Saliba's red card at Bournemouth was Arsenal's third of the season

“You are talking about a team in Manchester City, where you can't afford to let them get away. If you are getting red cards, you aren't going to pull that back.

"Liverpool and City have won games in the same situation. You have to ask if the setup is right in those games."

Having lost at Bournemouth, Arsenal now finds itself four points behind Liverpool ahead of Sunday’s meeting, and three behind City. Arne Slot’s side will therefore have the chance to move seven points clear of the Gunners when they head to the Emirates this weekend.

Not only is Saliba set to be missing through suspension, but Arteta also has injury doubts over Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber after the pair were not seen in training on Monday ahead of their Champions League clash with Shakhtar Donetsk. Martin Odegaard will be missing once again, having picked up an ankle injury while on international duty.

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Ex-Sky Sports presenter Richard Keys believes Liverpool were only awarded a penalty against Chelsea because referee John Brooks turned down the Blues claims for a spot-kick prior to Mohamed Salah's opener.

The Reds ran out 2-1 winners on Sunday against the Blues, with a Salah penalty and a second half Curtis Jones goal proving the difference on the day. Chelsea did equalise through Nicolas Jackson, but ended up conceding minutes later when Jones dinked Robert Sanchez at the beginning of the second half.

However, around 10 minutes prior to Salah's penalty, which was given after Levi Colwill kicked Jones inside the box, Chelsea had their shouts for a spot kick turned down when Jadon Sancho's foot was trodden on by Trent Alexander-Arnold. In the end, Brooks did not give Chelsea a penalty.

But in bizarre fashion, Keys, who now works for beIN SPORTS, has claimed the reason the referee decided to give Liverpool a penalty was due to not giving Chelsea one, adding that Salah and Jones also tried to con spot kicks out of Brooks as well. Writing in his weekly blog, Keys wrote: "It was billed as Liverpool’s first big test of the season. Turns out it wasn’t.

"I thought Chelsea were passive and largely ineffective and that description would sum up Cole Palmer’s contribution as well. I’m a massive Palmer fan, but he had a day to forget - just four shots - none on target and he created only one chance for his team mates. In total, Chelsea only had two shots on target. Forest provided a much stiffer test - and Liverpool failed that one.

Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson attempts to distract Liverpool's Mohamed Salah at a penalty kick for Liverpool against Chelsea (Image: (Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images))

"But on this occasion fair play to Liverpool - they beat what was in front of them, despite a series of bizarre decisions from the ref. My first question about his appointment would be why? This was only his second game of the season. It was too big for him. He was way off the pace. Why give him such a big game when he hasn’t been reffing?

"Chelsea should’ve had a pen before Brooks eventually gave Liverpool one. Sancho’s foot was clearly trodden on at the Kop end. Pen. Why was there no review? Salah tried to con one out of Brooks before Curtis Jones did. You could hear Brooks’ mind working ‘damn, I’ve just turned one down l, I’ll have to give this’. Yes, there was contact but it was no more or less than there had been on Sancho. It certainly wasn’t enough to send Jones tumbling."

Liverpool.com says: "Yeah, we're not really sure what Keys is going on about here. Yes, Salah probably did go down easily when he tried to win a penalty and should have been booked - but there's no doubt the foul from Colwill on Jones was certainly a penalty."

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The former Reds boss was full of praise for the Liverpool midfielder

The former Reds boss was full of praise for the Liverpool midfielder

Latest Liverpool news after Diogo Jota picked up an injury during Sunday's 2-1 Premier League win over Chelsea