Liverpool.com

Kyle Walker welcomes the visit of Liverpool on Sunday for his first clash with the Reds in a Burnley shirt - and will certainly be hoping this one doesn't end in tears.

The veteran full-back is no stranger to showdowns with Liverpool having featured in several fiery clashes during his spell at rivals Manchester City. And despite City's untold success in that time, Walker's record against Liverpool is worse than any other club he's faced in his career.

Sunday will be the 28th time he has faced the Reds, with only seven victories to show for his efforts while he has been on the receiving end of defeat on no fewer than 10 occasions - one of which, he admitted, he'll "never, ever forget".

After a brief stint with AC Milan, Walker is back in the Premier League playing under ex-Spurs teammate Scott Parker at Turf Moor. And it is a memory from Walker's time at Tottenham which has caused him some significant grief.

Fortunately for his own sake, Parker had already moved on to Fulham by that point. Which is probably just as well, as it may have put him off going into management!

It was December 15, 2013 when Brendan Rodgers' title-chasing Liverpool made the trip to White Hart Lane, where Walker and Co were handed a demoralising 5-0 thumping - Spurs' worst home defeat in 16 years.

It was a defeat which turned out to be curtains for Spurs boss Andre Villas Boas, who was promptly handed his P45 the next day. And things all got a bit emotional in the Spurs dressing room...

“I can remember when he left, and I will never forget it,” Walker said on his BBC podcast, ‘ You’ll Never Beat Kyle Walker ‘. “I swear to you, I will never, ever forget it. We were sat in the auditorium and we got wind that he was going.

“[Daniel] Levy sacked him, but he was still in the building and we were still ready to train. He came downstairs and started crying in front of us.

“He started crying in front of us, and I remember his assistant was telling him to pull it together. He started crying, I’ve got tears running down my eyes. A lot of the lads had tears.

“Michael Dawson is welling, he can’t stop crying. He’s emotionally crying because that is how much he meant to the lads."

Walker added: "We probably didn’t do him justice on the pitch because that’s why he got the sack, but for 10-12 men to be crying because the manager has gone, he has done something well in the dressing room.

“Football aside, he’s emotionally connected with us as well. As a team, we probably let him down a bit.”

Manchester United, Liverpool, and Tottenham are all keeping tabs on Brentford skipper Nathan Collins.

The Irish defender was handed the captain’s armband earlier this month and marked the occasion in style, scoring the winner in a preseason friendly against local rivals QPR. Despite the growing interest, a transfer appears unlikely for now, with Brentford unwilling to part ways with the Republic of Ireland international following a summer that already saw two key departures.

Collins only joined Brentford in 2023 from Wolves in a club-record $31 million deal, signing a six-year contract. But his rise to captaincy, succeeding the outgoing Christian Norgaard, who joined Arsenal, has not gone unnoticed.

New Bees boss and fellow countryman Keith Andrews has hailed Collins as "a natural leader." Brentford was beaten 3-1 by Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

United remains interested in strengthening its defense, having already raided the Bees for Bryan Mbeumo in a $85 million deal. However, any further arrivals at Old Trafford are expected to hinge on player departures.

Tottenham is also exploring defensive options, with new boss Thomas Frank — who left Brentford for Spurs this summer — an admirer of Collins, though his respect for his former club may temper any move.

Liverpool’s need for reinforcements at the back was highlighted in their shaky 4-2 win over Bournemouth on the opening day at Anfield.

Collins, who became Stoke’s youngest-ever captain at just 18, has gone on to earn 30 caps for the Republic of Ireland and started in Brentford’s Premier League opener at Nottingham Forest.

New manager Andrews has earmarked the 23-year-old as a central figure in his plans this season.

The Bees remain confident that the 24-year-old is committed to the club. Collins’ commanding presence, composure, and proven Premier League experience have caught the eye of Liverpool’s recruitment staff, who are weighing up defensive options.

Although he is admired at Anfield, interest is understood to be tentative, with no formal approach made. Collins still has four years left on his contract and has given no indication of seeking a move, while Brentford remains firm in its stance that he is not for sale.

Sources close to the situation describe it as straightforward — a transfer is highly unlikely this summer.

The 23-year-old featured 33 times across all competitions last season, earning recognition for his aerial dominance, positional discipline, and leadership qualities.

While United, Spurs, and Liverpool’s monitoring highlights his growing reputation, a move would only be considered if circumstances were to change dramatically.

On Friday, the Premier League resumed with Liverpool winning 4-2 against Bournemouth at Anfield. Today, the bulk of the opening weekend's fixtures will take place — including Tottenham hosting newly-promoted Burnley.

Earlier this week, Tottenham lost on penalties against the French giant and European champion PSG in the UEFA Super Cup final. But with Ange Postecoglou having been fired at the end of the previous season, there is hope of a better Premier League finish this time around.

Taking on one of the newly-promoted sides at home, that should be the exact type of game that Spurs can win to get off to a positive start. But it is also the exact kind of game where it regularly came unstuck in the last campaign.

For fans in the UK, the game is not being shown live on television because it is to be played at 3pm (10am ET). Supporters wishing to tune in will have to wait to watch the highlights at the final whistle.

In the US, however, those who want to view the match can do so on Peacock (or via its online streaming service). The full 90 minutes will be available to watch Stateside.

In terms of team news, Spurs will be without James Maddison (torn ACL), Dejan Kulusevski (knee), Destiny Udogie (knee), Radu Dragusin (knee), Yves Bissouma (disciplinary) and Kota Takai (foot).

Burnley, meanwhile, is set to be missing Zeki Amdouni (knee), Jordan Beyer (knee), Bashir Humphreys (thigh) and Manuel Benson (achilles). Martin Dubravka (shoulder), Connor Roberts (undisclosed) and Zian Flemming (match fitness) are doubts.

New signings could feature for the first time in the Premier League here for their new clubs. Mohammed Kudus and Axel Tuanzebe, for instance, could both be involved in their side's starting XIs.

Asked for a team news update ahead of the game, Thomas Frank said in his press conference: "Every player who was available is available for the team. Destiny [Udogie] is progressing, but it's too early for him to be involved in the squad."

On the racist abuse that Mathys Tel has suffered this week after he missed a penalty against PSG, Frank added: "I think it's terrible what happened to Mathys.

"We're doing everything to support him in this situation. He's a strong person. He will have support from family and friends, as well as us.

"There's no real Tottenham supporter that will do that (abuse). You'll see the real Tottenham supporters at the stadium tomorrow backing him. I expect big cheers for him tomorrow."

Yves Bissouma, meanwhile, will be with his teammates again. He was disciplined midweek for arriving late to training. "Bissouma was a situation, but I addressed it, and there was a consequence," Frank said. "He will be in the squad tomorrow."

Liverpool are, reportedly, keeping a keen eye on Brentford defender Nathan Collins this summer. As per Give Me Sport, the ex-Wolves player is held in high regard within Anfield.

Jarell Quansah, who made his move to Bayer Leverkusen earlier this summer, has yet to be replaced, making the acquisition of a centre-back a top priority for Arne Slot. The defensive injury crisis of the 2020/2021 season, which threw Liverpool's title defence off track, remains a vivid memory, and the club can't risk a repeat.

As we approach the new Premier League season, the Reds only have two dependable senior defenders in captain Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate - limiting rotation options.

However, Liverpool could well face competition from Tottenham Hotspur for Collins, with Thomas Frank reportedly keen to sign the Republic of Ireland star.

Collins was recently made club captain by his new head coach and fellow countryman Keith Andrews, which further complicates any potential exit from west London.

Give Me Sport suggest that the Premier League champions' interest in Collins remains tentative, with no approach having been made yet.

Having carved out a crucial role at the heart of Brentford's defence, the club has no intention of letting Collins go, reports the Liverpool Echo.

In other news, Liverpool have had two bids turned down for Crystal Palace and England defender Marc Guehi, as reported by Foot Mercato.

He asserts that the player won't cause a rift with Palace to join the Reds this summer.

However, The Guardian's Ed Aarons implies that Anfield is believed to be his preferred destination but there is a possibility that Newcastle United could reignite their interest.

Palace have reportedly valued Guehi at $53 million, despite turning down a $93.2 million offer from Tottenham in January.

Tottenham Hotspur has been dealt a potential injury setback with James Maddison on the cusp of the new Premier League season, amid transfer links to Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott.

Spurs, who were up against Newcastle United in Seoul, South Korea on Sunday, saw their No. 10 carried off the pitch in evident discomfort. The game also saw Eddie Howe issue an update on Alexander Isak after Liverpool saw a bid rejected last week.

Maddison seemed to have not collided with an opponent before hopping on one foot and collapsing in obvious pain, necessitating medical attention. Pending the diagnosis, this could pose a problem for manager Thomas Frank, who has aspirations to challenge reigning Premier League champions Liverpool in the 2025/26 season.

Should they need to, Spurs will have just under a month to secure a replacement via the open transfer market. Interestingly, GIVEMESPORT recently suggested that the London club was among several eyeing Elliott after a failed bid to sign Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White.

The 22-year-old earned a Premier League winner's medal last season, albeit with a diminished role under Arne Slot compared to his previous tenure under Jurgen Klopp.

His campaign concluded with 28 appearances but only totalled 822 minutes on the pitch. This resulted in a modest tally of five goals and three assists across all competitions.

Over the summer, his prospects brightened considerably after playing for England at the Under-21 European Championships, where Lee Carsley's squad emerged victorious and the Liverpool youngster was crowned player of the tournament.

Back in Liverpool, the Reds were in full swing with their summer transfer business, bringing in seven new faces so far. Among the arrivals was Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen, who joined for a record-breaking British fee, adding further competition to his position.

Elliott has openly discussed his situation and the tough choice he faces between battling for his spot at Anfield or seeking a new venture elsewhere.

In a candid chat with The Anfield Wrap last week, he confessed: "If I had it my way I would be here for the rest of my career, it's as simple as that.

"I love everything about the club, but at the same time I kind of need to be selfish and see what's best for me. I have big ambitions. I want to get in the World Cup squad.

"I want to keep being successful as a player. It's something I still need to review. I need to have a talk with everyone and review the situation.

"We have many new players who have come in so whether it blocks the path for me I'm not sure. It's something I need to have a look at and decide."

Tottenham remains interested in signing Liverpool target Marc Guehi, after failing to secure a deal to sign the England center-back during the January transfer window.

Guehi's profile has risen dramatically over the last year, after he played a key role in England's run to the final of Euro 2024, while he also helped Crystal Palace to win the first major trophy in its history last year as the Eagles won the FA Cup.

Tottenham already has four senior center-backs in Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Kevin Danso and Radu Dragusin, and the club's interest in Guehi could suggest that one of them may leave this summer.

Romero, who has fewer than two years remaining on his contract in North London, has been linked with Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.

The Telegraph reports that Liverpool remains the favorite in the race to sign Guehi, with the Reds keen to recruit a new central defender following the departure of Jarell Quansah.

Quansah's exit brought in the biggest fee of the window for Liverpool, but his move to Bayer Leverkusen has left Arne Slot with just three senior center-backs.

Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk were outstanding last season, and Joe Gomez filled in impressively when called upon, but Gomez has not played competitively in nearly six months after his campaign was ended by a hamstring injury in February.

Liverpool simply can't afford to go into the season without signing a fourth center-back — it would just be too risky. The Guehi chat appears to have gone quiet of late but there is still plenty of time left in the window for that deal to come to fruition.

Meanwhile, with the focus off Guehi for now, the Reds are closing in on a deal to sign Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike.

Liverpool has agreed a fee with Frankfurt for the transfer of Ekitike, with the Reds set to pay up to $106 million (£79 million) for the French forward.

Ekitike will cost Liverpool an initial $93 million (£69 million), with a further $13 million (£10million) in add-ons. It is believed those add-ons are subject to the club and player reaching certain targets.

Tottenham Hotspur is close to appointing Thomas Frank as its new manager after parting ways with Ange Postecoglou last week.

Spurs, who considered Arne Slot as a replacement for Antonio Conte in 2023, took the decision to move on from Postecoglou despite the club's victory in the Europa League final last month, as the Australian ultimately paid the price for the team's dismal Premier League campaign.

Tottenham finished in 17th place in the league after losing 22 of its 38 games, and in several previous Premier League seasons, the 38 points that the team accumulated would not have been enough to save the club from relegation to the second tier.

Relegation would have have been humiliating for a club of Tottenham's stature, and the North London outfit hopes Frank will bring more stability to the team.

In Frank, Tottenham is getting a manager who has been highly regarded in England for several years due to his exploits with West London club Brentford.

Frank has been at Brentford since 2018, and in 2021 the club achieved promotion to the Premier League. Frank helped to establish Brentford as a top-flight club, securing two top-half finishes during his four seasons in charge.

After a game between Liverpool and Brentford during the 2023-24 season, Frank drew praise from then Reds boss Jurgen Klopp — despite Liverpool winning 3-0.

"More than 20 years ago when I started my career, I wanted to create a team that nobody wants to play against and we faced that team today," Klopp said after the game at Anfield.

"It's crazy! This spell where they had six corners in a row I thought 'oh god.' But we defended with so much passion in the moment. The goals we scored were fantastic."

Klopp's successor, Arne Slot, also had some kind words to say about Frank this season. After Frank described Liverpool as "the best team in the world" in January, Slot said: "His (Frank's) opinion means something to me because he has shown at Brentford how well he has done for so many years without spending crazy amounts of money."

Slot also showered the axed Postecoglou with praise ahead of Liverpool's Carabao Cup semi-final meeting with Tottenham earlier this year.

“They (Tottenham) have always been a certain brand of football for me and have a certain identity," Slot said. "I think Ange Postecoglou gives them that identity back completely. Ange is doing great work over there. I hope this is seen a bit more. I also hope, hope, hope that he wins a trophy.

Alexis Mac Allister’s strike against Tottenham Hotspur was voted Liverpool’s 2024/25 Goal of the Season, with the Argentinian’s effort beating competition from Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, and Darwin Nunez.

The goal was a momentous one on the day the Reds clinched the Premier League title, as his effort put Liverpool 2-1 up in the game. Dominic Solanke had netted the opener at Anfield before Luis Diaz equalized.

Mac Allister’s distance strike was celebrated so emphatically by fans that it even caused an actual seismic event on the Richter scale. Winning the ball at the edge of the box, he fired a thunderous left-foot effort into the net, which was voted for by Liverpool fans as the best of the campaign.

There was stiff competition too, with Mac Allister’s thunderbolt emerging on top from a shortlist of 20. After a 34-goal campaign, Salah was bound to be among the contenders - in fact, he featured four times in the nominees, with the finish at Old Trafford in September coming in second.

Mac Allister’s similarly powerful goal at Fulham was third following the public vote, and Salah’s curler in the Premier League home win over Brighton & Hove Albion came in at no.4.

Nunez, Gakpo, and Diogo Jota also had goals nominated, along with submissions from the youth teams and women's side.

But for Mac Allister, it meant he stole a rare prize from Salah, who hoovered up Liverpool’s end-of-season awards. He was voted the club’s Player of the Season, along with his Premier League and FWA prizes.

The award is well deserved for Mac Allister following an excellent individual season. He played 35 league matches as the Argentinian added a Premier League winner’s medal to his impressive collection.

Mac Allister missed one league match through suspension in December and the final two due to a minor injury. Overall, he made 49 appearances and scored seven goals.

Speaking about his injury in a recent interview, the former Brighton midfielder said: “Not being on the [Argentina] roster infuriates me — sometimes it's a question I ask myself every day. But I've had some issues throughout the year."

“We're aware that we're in the national team. Good players always emerge, and that means we never relax and want to be here,” he added, while downplaying the severity of the issue.

Arne Slot has revealed that it wasn't just Tottenham who he turned down before joining Liverpool last summer. Another Premier League side also made a move to bring him to England from Feyenoord.

"Not going to Spurs was 99 per cent a family decision," he said after winning the league title at Liverpool in his debut campaign. "I even told my kids they could easily visit me in London during the school holidays. My daughter said that during the school holidays, she wanted to spend time with her friends.

"I thought moving directly from Feyenoord to Spurs was a huge deal — because who goes from Feyenoord straight to Tottenham? At Spurs and another club — I won’t mention the name myself — I had to give a presentation, explain my tactical approach, and compete against other coaches."

Instead, Slot remained patient and stuck with Feyenoord for longer than he might have. And when Liverpool came in for him, it was a different reaction to the other clubs in England who had tried to tempt him.

"When Liverpool came along last season, everything was completely different," Slot, who was speaking to Dutch outlets including PZC, continued. "Nothing surpasses Liverpool.

"I did tell my agent, Rafaella Pimenta, that I wanted to know whether I was the only candidate. If that hadn’t been the case, I don’t know if I would have gone through with it.

"Liverpool acted completely differently. Sporting director Richard Hughes came to visit me and I was surprised by how much he already knew about me.

"A few months earlier, (technical director) Julian Ward had called me. I knew him from the time when he was responsible for Liverpool’s loaned players.

"He told me he was doing a tour around Europe, visiting clubs. He asked if he could come and watch me.

"Later, I realized that his visit served a different purpose. It shows how meticulous Liverpool is in their approach."

This weekend, Liverpool will get hold of the Premier League trophy in front of fans for the first time. Virgil van Dijk will be handed the trophy by Reds legend Alan Hansen.

"There’s a lot of — how do you call it? — I won’t say dreaming because it will be a reality but I can picture it and it will be a very emotional day," Van Dijk told reporters at Stamford Bridge earlier this month.

"My family will be there, my mum, my wife, my kids. But until we get there, we must keep focusing on the games ahead of us and try to win the last three games in front of us.

"Hopefully [it will be] even better than what we had after the Champions League final. I already encouraged everyone to wear red in the last game and keep doing that for the rest of the season because everyone saw how amazing it was."

Tottenham Hotspur chiefs have taken a zero-tolerance approach as they issued "indefinite bans" to fans who sold their tickets to Liverpool supporters for the club's trip to Anfield.

In an official statement issued on the North London outfit's official website, Spurs representatives reported that Reds supporters had been refused entry and ejected from the away end at the stadium at the weekend. Tottenham claimed that the fans in question were in possession of tickets issued to the visiting team on the landmark occasion.

The club has now confirmed that any fans who re-sold tickets to Liverpool fans had contravened their in-house Sanctions and Banning policy. Issuing a firm response on the matter, they warned that unauthorized sales of tickets to opposition supporters can lead to "uncomfortable and potentially unsafe environments" on the terraces.

As a result, Tottenham's powers-that-be have written to supporters who are thought to have sold their tickets on to rival fans ahead of the trip to Anfield. They confirmed that the following sanctions have been issued to those concerned:

Immediate removal of Season Ticket

Cancellation of all match tickets – home and away – for the remainder of the 2024/25 season

Removal of all ticketing points

Indefinite Club ban – to be reviewed after three years

In a firm statement, Tottenham Hotspur officials said: "The Club has always been clear that the unauthorised resale of match tickets is strictly prohibited.

"This is considered an offence under our Sanctions and Banning policy, and we have already issued points deductions this season to individuals who have passed or resold away tickets to fellow Spurs fans.

Forwarding away tickets to fans of the home team is considered a particularly serious offence as it creates uncomfortable and potentially unsafe environments for supporters who have purchased their tickets legitimately."

They continued: "It also undermines the integrity of our ticketing point system and brings the Club’s name into disrepute. As previously communicated, we operate a zero-tolerance approach towards ticket touting and all forms of unofficial ticket resale."

In addition, the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust commented: "We support the Club’s efforts to crack down on ticket touting at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and for away tickets, where demand vastly outweighs supply.

"Selling or passing on tickets is unfair to fans who would otherwise have qualified for an away ticket or have been able to buy a home one."

Liverpool clinched the Premier League title on what proved to be a landmark ocassion in L4 at the weekend, dispatching of the visitors in a 5-1 demolition job. While the Reds will have to wait until the final game of the campaign to be handed the trophy, the victory meant that they claimed the title with four games to spare.

This brought to a close a 35-year wait for another league championship triumph won in front of fans - with the last Premier League crown having been won behind closed doors in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. This achievement meant that Arne Slot had pulled off the feat of delivering the title in his first season after succeeding Jurgen Klopp in the managerial hotseat.