Former England internationals Alan Shearer and Micah Richards are fiercely divided over whether Arne Slot should be sacked following Liverpool’s disastrous Premier League title defence.
The pressure is mounting on the Dutch manager after a torrid domestic campaign and a humiliating 4-0 FA Cup defeat by Manchester City.
The Merseyside club currently sit fifth in the table, fighting to secure European qualification as their erratic form continues.
They now face a daunting trip to France to play holders Paris St-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday.
Champions League glory required?
Shearer believes the upcoming European tie carries enormous significance for the under-fire boss.
The former Newcastle United striker suggested that lifting the continent’s most prestigious trophy may be the only way to save his job.
Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, the 54-year-old expressed his dismay at the current situation at Anfield.
“It’s crazy, especially after what they did last season and the money they have spent,” said Shearer.
“It just hasn’t worked for them, they’ve been all over the place, they’ve been so inconsistent.”
“He has to get in the Champions League via winning it. I’m not even sure top five would be enough, but it’s not nice to see what’s going on at Liverpool.”
Calls for patience at Anfield
If the Premier League secures an additional European berth through coefficient rankings, a fifth-place finish would guarantee Champions League football next season.
The defending champions currently occupy that crucial fifth spot, but sit only five points ahead of ninth-placed Fulham in a tightly contested race.
Chelsea, Brentford and Everton are all within striking distance and ready to capitalise on any further slip-ups from the reigning titleholders.
Despite the perilous league position, Richards insists the head coach has built up enough goodwill to earn a reprieve.
The former Manchester City defender pointed to key attacking absences as a major mitigating factor in this season’s spectacular collapse.
“I’d like to see him get one more season,” Richards explained.
“This season has been, I don’t want to say a transition and I know a lot of people will say ‘Hold on, he’s spent a lot of money’.”
“But their main striker has been out.”
Barcelona have moved seven points clear at the summit of LaLiga after a crucial 2-1 victory over Atletico Madrid following Real Madrid’s shock defeat to Mallorca.
Hansi Flick’s side took full advantage of their title rivals slipping up to establish a commanding domestic position with just eight games remaining.
The Catalan giants fielded a near full-strength lineup despite facing the same opposition twice more in the upcoming Champions League quarter-finals.
Conversely, Diego Simeone opted to rest several key figures for the visitors with their league campaign largely resolved.
Yamal shines in fiery encounter
Lamine Yamal delivered an electrifying performance for the hosts in the absence of the sidelined Raphinha.
The Spanish teenager hit the woodwork and won the pivotal foul that led to Nico Gonzalez receiving a second yellow card.
That dismissal drastically shifted the momentum after a tightly contested first half had ended level.
Giuliano Simeone had initially exploited a high defensive line to score, before Marcus Rashford responded for the league leaders.
Manchester City pile misery on Liverpool
In domestic English action, Manchester City advanced in the FA Cup quarter-finals with a resounding victory over a struggling Liverpool side.
Erling Haaland was instrumental for the reigning Premier League champions as they inflicted further damage on their north-west rivals.
Elsewhere in the competition, Championship outfit Southampton produced a stunning upset to eliminate Arsenal.
Gunners manager Mikel Arteta paid the ultimate price for heavily rotating his squad ahead of critical midweek European fixtures.
European roundup
Bayern Munich secured another dramatic comeback victory in the Bundesliga to maintain their formidable recent form.
Meanwhile, United States international Folarin Balogun continued his impressive scoring streak for Monaco in Ligue 1.
Chelsea also enjoyed significant domestic cup success, securing a morale-boosting seven-goal victory in their respective FA Cup tie.
Antoine Griezmann is targeting a fairy-tale Champions League triumph with Atletico Madrid before departing for Major League Soccer side Orlando City at the end of the season.
The 35-year-old will cross the Atlantic this summer to conclude an illustrious club career spent entirely in Spain.
However, the French World Cup winner still has unfinished business in Europe’s elite competition.
A final tilt at European glory
Diego Simeone’s side face Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-finals, setting up a poignant clash with his former employers.
The versatile attacker previously described winning the tournament as his ultimate dream after moving to Catalonia in 2019.
That highly-publicised switch yielded little continental success, including a memorable 8-2 defeat by Bayern Munich during his debut campaign.
Despite his legendary status, the mercurial forward has suffered from a strange lack of timing regarding major domestic titles.
Atletico won La Liga twice under their current Argentine manager, but their record goalscorer was employed by Real Sociedad in 2014 and Barcelona in 2021.
Securing an enduring legacy
Even without a glittering array of league medals, the forward will depart the Metropolitano as the greatest player of the Simeone era.
He recently displaced 1974 European Cup finalist Luis Aragones at the top of the club’s all-time scoring charts.
“Griezmann is a differential player who has given everything to Atletico Madrid,” said the manager who has signed him twice.
Beyond the 2018 Europa League and various Super Cups, major club silverware has largely eluded the Frenchman.
Double silverware still possible
While continental success remains a daunting challenge, a domestic trophy could still provide the perfect farewell gift.
The capital club face Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey final next Saturday.
A victory against the Basque outfit would guarantee a triumphant end to a remarkable chapter in Spanish football history.
Plymouth Gladiators speedway rider Tobias Thomsen has sustained multiple severe injuries, including a punctured lung and a broken femur, following a collision with Poole Pirates’ Richard Lawson on Friday evening.
The 31-year-old was transported immediately to hospital following the heat-one incident during his debut meeting for his new club.
The Danish racer was struck from behind by his former teammate during the early stages of the fixture between the two rivals.
Extensive medical trauma
Providing an update from his hospital bed, the Scandinavian detailed the extreme extent of the physical damage sustained in the crash.
He revealed that a titanium bar has been surgically inserted from his knee to his hip to stabilise a fractured femur.
“In the face, around the eye, I have three minor fractures in the bones, which fortunately do not require surgery,” said Thomsen.
The former Poole Pirates representative has also suffered three broken ribs alongside a small, but non-threatening, brain haemorrhage.
Riders maintain mutual respect
Despite the severity of the incident, there remains absolutely no animosity between the two competitors.
“This is a race accident and I have no grudge against Lawson – I know this could happen,” the recovering athlete explained.
Lawson swiftly responded to the online update to express his profound regret over his involvement in the horrific collision.
“I am absolutely gutted for you, wish I wasn’t the other rider in this with you,” stated Lawson.
Determination to return
The Plymouth-based outfit released a statement confirming their rider is determined to regain full fitness and evaluate his long-term career options.
Fans have quickly rallied around the stricken sportsman, raising nearly £1,400 through trackside collections to support his recovery and assist with machinery repairs.
“Going to do my best to get back in shape and see where this takes me in the future, I want to race again because it’s what makes me happy and feel alive,” Thomsen concluded.
Mikel Arteta must guide Arsenal through a season-defining period after consecutive cup eliminations to protect their nine-point Premier League advantage.
The north London club were recently tipped to challenge for an unprecedented quadruple.
However, sudden defeats in the Carabao Cup final and FA Cup quarter-finals have left the Gunners teetering on the brink of a historic meltdown.
The 44-year-old manager now faces the immense psychological challenge of keeping his squad focused on the remaining two major prizes.
European challenge awaits
Arsenal resume their continental campaign on Tuesday with a crucial Champions League quarter-final first leg against Sporting CP.
Success against the Portuguese side is vital to restore morale following Saturday’s shock 2-1 FA Cup defeat by Championship outfit Southampton.
The Spanish tactician knows his players cannot afford another severe setback on the European stage.
Title race pressure intensifies
Domestically, the current league leaders sit nine points clear of closest challengers Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola’s side boast a vital game in hand and will host the leaders in a potentially decisive title showdown on 19 April.
City are surging towards a potential domestic treble with relentless momentum, remaining unbeaten in the league since mid-January.
In contrast, three successive runners-up finishes in the top flight weigh heavily on the minds of the Emirates Stadium faithful.
Managerial pedigree tested
Arteta must draw upon his experience serving as Guardiola’s assistant to outmanoeuvre his former mentor.
The coming weeks will definitively test whether the former Arsenal captain possesses the necessary ruthlessness to secure major silverware.
With both domestic cups gone, the margins for error in the league and Europe have vanished completely.
Several Team USA stars are bidding to join an elite group of just eight ice hockey players to win Olympic gold and the NHL Stanley Cup in the same season.
The American national side recently ended their men’s Olympic gold medal drought at the Winter Games in February.
Now, a host of triumphant international players return to domestic action aiming for a rare double championship.
Only eight men have ever achieved the feat of lifting both trophies in a single campaign.
Elite club awaits new members
Ken Morrow became the inaugural dual champion after securing gold with the famous ‘Miracle on Ice’ squad before claiming the 1980 title with the New York Islanders.
In 2002, Steve Yzerman and Brendan Shanahan matched the achievement representing Canada and the Detroit Red Wings.
The most recent additions to this exclusive list were Los Angeles Kings duo Jeff Carter and Drew Doughty a decade ago.
Top contenders for the double
Colorado Avalanche centre Brock Nelson is considered a prime candidate to reach the milestone this year.
The Denver-based franchise remain one of the strongest outfits in the league and are well-positioned for a deep postseason run.
Vegas Golden Knights pair Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin also feature prominently among potential dual champions.
The Nevada team possess a favourable route through the playoff bracket compared to their Central Division rivals.
Challengers across the league
Tampa Bay Lightning forward Jake Guentzel offers another strong possibility if his side can navigate a highly competitive Atlantic Division.
Minnesota Wild boast three recent champions in Matt Boldy, Brock Faber and Quinn Hughes.
However, the trio face a formidable opening-round challenge against a battle-tested Dallas Stars roster.
The Texan franchise themselves feature backup netminder Jake Oettinger, who earned a medal during the national triumph and backstops what many consider the sport’s most complete team.
Uruguay midfielder Federico Valverde returns from suspension to lead Real Madrid against Bayern Munich in a crucial Champions League encounter.
The 27-year-old missed a damaging domestic defeat to Mallorca at the weekend following a red card in the Madrid derby.
However, his recent European form has been spectacular for Álvaro Arbeloa’s side.
In his last Champions League outing at the Santiago Bernabéu, the all-action midfielder scored a stunning 22-minute hat-trick against Manchester City.
Embracing the legacy of Toni Kroos
The South American has become a pivotal figure for the Spanish giants, registering eight goals and 12 assists across all competitions this season.
His growing influence is highlighted by his decision to take the number eight shirt.
That jersey was vacated by Toni Kroos after the legendary playmaker retired following last season’s Champions League final victory.
“I spoke to my wife about how I didn’t want to wear that number out of respect, more than anything, for the previous owner, who was Toni.”
The Los Blancos star revealed that he initially felt hesitant about inheriting the iconic squad number.
“My wife made a strong case to convince me I had to wear it… that I deserved it. Then when Toni also gave me his blessing, I obviously felt more relaxed about it and told myself that it was ‘my’ moment.”
Overcoming the Bavarian threat
Real Madrid narrowly defeated the German champions in the semi-finals of last year’s competition.
Vincent Kompany’s current Bayern squad travel to the Spanish capital viewed by many pundits as tournament favourites.
Yet the return of their dynamic talisman provides a timely boost for the reigning European champions.
With significant creative responsibility on his shoulders, the Uruguay international will be central to Madrid’s hopes of securing another famous victory.
Declan Rice, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Magalhaes have returned to Arsenal training ahead of their Champions League quarter-final against Sporting CP, though several key players remain absent.
The returning trio were spotted at London Colney on Monday, providing manager Mikel Arteta with a significant mid-week boost.
However, Bukayo Saka, Jurrien Timber, Eberechi Eze and Piero Hincapie were not present during the open session.
Saka and Timber remain sidelined
Timber missed the recent weekend fixtures despite being in contention, suggesting a persistent issue from the international break is still bothering him.
Eze continues to recover from a calf problem, while Arteta has confirmed that the injury sustained by Ecuadorian defender Hincapie is serious.
Meanwhile, the absence of Saka follows months of managing minor physical complaints for the England winger.
Boost for crucial European clash
The availability of Rice and Trossard is a major relief for the north London club as they prepare for a vital first-leg tie against Sporting CP.
Both midfielders withdrew from recent international duty to manage ongoing fitness concerns.
Arteta recently acknowledged that his record signing has been playing through pain to consistently help the team.
“He’s been phenomenal because that’s been going on for a while and the fact that he’s been able to perform and consistently commit to the team in that manner.”
“He talks about how much he wants to play for us and how much he wants to win, and that’s great to see.”
Upcoming domestic challenges
With crucial Premier League fixtures against Bournemouth and Manchester City approaching, the coaching staff will need to carefully manage returning players’ workloads.
William Saliba, who overcame a knee issue after replacing Gabriel during the FA Cup defeat to Southampton, was also out on the grass.
Club captain Martin Odegaard and Martin Zubimendi joined the group session, bolstering the available squad options for a gruelling run of fixtures.