Thursday’s briefing: Reds lose again but Arsenal are flying and Spurs show fight

Liverpool slid further into the mire as they lost for the ninth time in 12 games to plunge head coach Arne Slot deep into crisis.

Arsenal ended Bayern Munich’s 100 per cent start to this season’s Champions League, while neighbours Tottenham put up a fight against reigning champions Paris St Germain as they attempted to bounce back from their north London derby disappointment.

Elsewhere, Kylian Mbappe scored one of the quickest hat-tricks in the competition’s history to continue his impressive run of form.

Red mist

Arne Slot insists he is not worried about his own future after Liverpool’s dismal season took a further turn for the worse with a 4-1 home defeat by PSV Eindhoven.

Slot said: “I am feeling safe, I am OK. I have got a lot of support from above. It would be nice to turn it around and get a victory of course but if you are not doing well then it is normal that questions are asked.

“I am OK with my position. It is not the first time I’ve been in a difficult position but it is about time that we turned it around.

“I’m not worried. What I mean by that is my focus is on other things than on my own position. I need to do better and that’s what I’m trying to do every single day.”

London calling

Mikel Arteta emerged from Arsenal’s showdown with Bayern Munich believing they had beaten the “best team in Europe”.

Goals from Jurrien Timber and, after teenager Lennart Karl had equalised, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli, eased the Gunners to a 3-1 victory at the Emirates Stadium and put them top of the table.

Arteta said: “I have to praise our players because I think they had an incredible match against, in my opinion, the best team in Europe.”

Reigning champions Paris St Germain may have something to say about that having beaten Tottenham 5-3 at the Parc des Princes, with Vitinha claiming a hat-trick.

However, Spurs were competitive on the night, leading 1-0 and 2-1 and fighting back to trail 4-3 with 17 minutes remaining thanks to Richarlison’s opener and a second-half double from Randal Kolo Muani against his parent club.

Seventh heaven

Kylian Mbappe came within seconds of yet another record when he plundered a hat-trick in just seven minutes in Real Madrid’s 4-3 Champions League win at Olympiacos.

The 26-year-old Frenchman struck after 22, 24 and 29 minutes to move into second place in the all-time list for the competition behind Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, who achieved the same feat in just six minutes and 12 seconds in a 7-1 victory over Rangers in October 2022.

Mbappe went on to score what proved to be the decisive goal on the hour, taking his tally for the season to 22, nine of them in Europe.

What’s on today?

Nottingham Forest and Malmo will rekindle memories of their 1979 European Cup final clash when they meet at the City Ground in the Europa League.

Aston Villa are at home to Young Boys in the same competition with Celtic travelling to Feyenoord and Old Firm rivals Rangers hosting Sporting Braga.

In the Conference League, Crystal Palace head for Strasbourg and Aberdeen welcome Armenian side Noah to Pittodrie while Shamrock Rovers face Shakhtar Donetsk in Dublin and Shelbourne travel to AZ Alkmaar.