Roberto Firmino has weighed in on some of football’s biggest debates ahead of Liverpool’s blockbuster clash with Real Madrid, picking Mohamed Salah over Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr over Luis Diaz. The ex-Liverpool star praised both rivals but revealed his admiration for Vinicius’ energy and Salah’s unmatched consistency ahead of Champions League clash.

The latest round of action across Europe's 'Big Five' leagues has predictably produced a plethora of talking points, with Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid all in fine form. The Gunners are six points clear at the top of the Premier League after scoring yet another set-piece goal, and keeping another clean sheet, in their 2-0 victory at Burnley. Meanwhile, both Bayern and Real have five-point leads in Germany and Spain, respectively, after comfortable wins over the weekend.

Liverpool ended their torrid losing streak as Mohamed Salah scored his 250th goal for the club and Ryan Gravenberch netted on his return from injury in a comfortable 2-0 win over Aston Villa at Anfield. The Reds were well worth the three points but had a slice of luck to thank as Emiliano Martinez presented Salah with an open goal to break the deadlock, before Gravenberch's deflected strike sealed the points for a Arne Slot's dominant side.

Premier League pair Liverpool and Manchester City are set to be embroiled in a club vs country row ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations later this year. The duo are expected to be without respective forwards Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush for the end of 2025 and start of 2026. However, both sides are unlikely to release their players for a pre-AFCON friendly in mid-December.

Mohamed Salah has been in decline for three seasons according to a Liverpool legend. Emile Heskey joined the Reds from Leicester in 2000 and spent four years on the club's books until he left for Birmingham in 2004. And Heskey believes that a dip in performances is inevitable but added that if Salah isn't scoring, then it can be like playing with 10 men.