Liverpool Round-Up, Saturday 14th November: Isak Breaks Silence on Arsenal Penalty as Salah Smashes Egypt Scoring Record
The international break has dominated the headlines today, with Alexander Isak finally addressing the Arsenal penalty controversy that's rumbled on since the panel ruled he should have been awarded a spot-kick. The Liverpool striker explained why he didn't go down for the challenge and insisted he doesn't believe in throwing himself to the ground to win penalties (Liverpool.com) (Liverpool Echo) (This Is Anfield). Isak also gave an honest assessment of his own form for Sweden, admitting he hasn't been at "top level" despite a fine season so far for Liverpool (Liverpool.com).
Mohamed Salah has been making headlines of his own after becoming Egypt's all-time record goalscorer with his 13th goal of the season, a landmark that's been widely celebrated in the Egyptian media (This Is Anfield) (LiverpoolFC.com) (Liverpool.com).
There's been plenty of other international news involving Reds. Florian Wirtz has continued his excellent form into the break with Germany, earning unanimous praise from German media for his latest display, with some outlets describing him as "virtually unstoppable" and "irresistible" (Liverpool.com) (This Is Anfield). Ronald Araujo got the better of Liverpool teammate Alexis Mac Allister as Uruguay beat Argentina in a friendly, with national media from both countries passing their verdict on the pair (LiverpoolFC.com) (Liverpool.com). Elsewhere, Cody Gakpo endured a tough night as Kostas Tsimikas and the Netherlands put seven past his side (Liverpool Echo) (This Is Anfield), while Dominik Szoboszlai started for Hungary despite carrying a knee issue, with Liverpool handed a boost over his fitness afterwards (This Is Anfield) (Liverpool.com). Zinedine Zidane also came out in defence of Bradley Barcola following a difficult night for the forward in France's 3-1 Nations League defeat to Italy (Liverpool.com). There's also a slight concern as Alexis Mac Allister risks missing the first Merseyside derby of the season (This Is Anfield), while his father gave a fresh update on contract talks, suggesting a resolution could come before the end of the year (Liverpool.com).
Away from international duty, there's been transfer talk surrounding Ronald Araujo, with Dejan Lovren suggesting the Uruguayan - who Liverpool reportedly have an option to sign for £47m next summer - could end up costing closer to £80m (Liverpool Echo). Lovren has also urged Liverpool to tie down Alisson Becker to a new contract through to 2028, reflecting on how strange it still feels seeing former teammates Andy Robertson and Jordan Henderson playing for other clubs (Liverpool Echo) (Liverpool.com).
Thoughts are starting to turn to Manchester United's visit to Anfield, with Mauricio Pochettino confirmed as the new United boss but not officially starting until November 18 - leaving him just days to prepare (Liverpool.com). Pochettino has also been briefed on a United injury crisis he'll need to navigate (Liverpool.com), while Roy Keane has outlined changes he'd like to see that simply won't be possible in time for the Liverpool game (Liverpool.com). Jamie Carragher has been vocal on the build-up too, shutting down a claim from Mark Goldbridge about Pochettino (Liverpool.com), while admitting that Liverpool "aren't amazing" at the moment as he outlined what he wants to see from Andoni Iraola's side in the United clash (Liverpool.com).
On the women's side, Liverpool FC Women named Mao Itamura and Mari Ward in their starting line-up away at Brighton (LiverpoolFC.com), and ran out 3-0 winners against Brighton & Hove Albion in the Women's Super League.
Finally, there's been reflection on Liverpool's history and current progress, with suggestions that Iraola has improved a key area of the side compared to predecessor Arne Slot (Liverpool.com) (Liverpool Echo), while Stefan Bajcetic made three consecutive appearances for the first time in 543 days (This Is Anfield).
This round-up is written with the help of AI, using only the day's headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.
