Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has been speaking to BBC Radio Merseyside after the Reds edged a 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid in their Champions League opener: "This match was always going to be tough because it is the Champions League. We tried to start the game faster than the first two games we played this season. Obviously we didn't have the kick-off and then unfortunately we conceded a goal, but the way we reacted after that is something I'm pleased about, for sure.

"Winning breeds confidence but we all need to be calm, recover and focus on the things we have to improve. There are still loads of things we can improve and we want to improve. We want to be better in what the manager wants from us.

"We are still not there yet. It is a process, but winning helps massively because then it feels like everything is clicking. It will take some more games and training sessions, but it is looking pretty alright."

On Bradley Barcola making his full debut: "He did very well. I don't think he has played that many minutes for a long time, so it is down to him to recover and be ready for the weekend now."

Get the full post-match interview by hitting play above or listen on BBC Sounds

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Stephen Warnock
Former Liverpool defender on MOTD: UEFA Champions League

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I don't think Mac Allister has to show his importance to Liverpool, I think everyone knows the qualities he has got anyway.

I think there will be a lot of talk about him because of what has gone on in the past few days, but I think Liverpool fans were already asking why hasn't he been offered a new contract when other players have.

To come out and talk about a contract situation like he did, a couple of days before a game, and to be able to back it up the way he did with a good performance is important - but it is over the course of the season, where his performances are important because if he wants a contract and he thinks he deserves a contract then if his performances are good, he will get one.

We all know the qualities that he has got - he is a World Cup winner, a Premier League winner, we know that he's a very good player, it is just he has got to be put into the right system to make it work.

At the moment Liverpool's system is a little bit dysfunctional but it is starting to get better and he will get better because of that."

Liverpool

Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister, spoke to TNT Sports after he scored the winner: "It was a good comeback. I think the first half was really good. We conceded a goal because we were not ready, and we did not defend well, other than it was a good first half.

"The beginning of the second half was really good. We managed to score the second goal, which is good.

"Overall, it was a good performance. Now we have to think about the next one.

"Before the game we spoke about the beginning of the first half and second half. I liked the mentality. I think we showed desire today. We got the fans behind us and that's really important when you play at Anfield. A positive step for us."

On the goal boosting his chances of a new contract: "I don't know - we will see."

Let's hear from the man himself...

Liverpool

Match of the Day pundit Stephen Warnock praises an "exceptional" Alexis Mac Allister as the Argentinian midfielder scores a brilliant winner in Liverpool's 2-1 Champions League win over Atletico Madrid at Anfield.

Aadam Patel
Football Reporter at Anfield

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The sheer ferocity of the strike to beat Jan Oblak was one thing, but the raw emotion shown by Alexis Mac Allister as he grabbed the Liverpool badge on his shirt and celebrated in front of the Kop told you all that you needed to know.

Just a day earlier, Mac Allister had spoken with a different kind of emotion inside the press room at Anfield as he expressed his sadness at Liverpool not offering him a new contract during the summer.

The Argentine, who is currently contracted until 2028, spoke passionately about his love for the club and the city and how he didn't feel like he had anything to prove - but there was an admittance that he needed to show the level he knew he could perform at.

Thankfully for Andoni Iraola and Liverpool, Mac Allister did just that by letting his football do the talking in their 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid.

From the outset against Diego Simeone's side, the midfielder seemed like a man on a mission. He blazed over early on from outside the box then picked up a booking just before the half-hour mark. Seeing Simeone wave an imaginary yellow card when he wanted a second booking for his compatriot just before half-time told a story in itself.

Simeone could only watch on when Mac Allister's left foot connected with the ball from outside the box and leave a diving Oblak with no chance - turning the game on its head after Marcos Llorente's opening goal and Dominik Szoboszlai's equaliser.

It wasn't quite like the strike that produced an actual seismic event - reaching a peak magnitude of 1.74 on the Richter scale - when Mac Allister found the top corner against Tottenham in 2025 on the day Liverpool won the Premier League, but it was more than good enough to beat one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

And it was certainly what Iraola and the Anfield hierarchy would have wanted to see after a below-par campaign from Mac Allister last season.

The understanding is that they were of the belief that Mac Allister's performances did not warrant the offer of fresh terms.

But if he can carry on like this, then it will be a question of when rather than if that offer is made for whoever replaces Richard Hughes - even if Mac Allister said he didn't know if his goal would boost his chances of a new contract.

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Aadam Patel
Football Reporter at Anfield

Alexis Mac Allister scored an emphatic winner as Liverpool began their Champions League campaign with a win over Atletico Madrid at Anfield.

Dominik Szoboszlai levelled for Liverpool after Marcos Llorente had initially given Atletico the lead before Mac Allister fired in from outside the box to give Andoni Iraola his first win at home for Liverpool and his first Champions League victory as manager.

Mac Allister had dominated the pre-match headlines after his candid press conference on Tuesday, in which the Argentinian said he was "sad" that Liverpool did not offer him a new contract over the summer. But the 27-year-old, who is contracted at Anfield until 2028, did his talking on the pitch on Wednesday with a superb left-footed strike that gave Jan Oblak no chance.

With two draws and a win in the Premier League, Liverpool remain unbeaten under Iraola but for the third time in four games, they conceded first. Milos Kerkez failed to track Llorente, who got on the end of Julian Alvarez's ball and finished past Alisson to score at Anfield again.

Llorente named his dog "Anfield" after scoring twice against Liverpool in 2020 when Diego Simeone's side knocked them out of the Champions League. Of Llorente's 10 Champions League goals, five have now remarkably come at Liverpool's Merseyside home.

Alisson did well to deny Alvarez - who was making his first Atletico start of the season after failing to get his desired move to Barcelona - from distance and Liverpool levelled before the break after Kerkez did brilliantly to win the ball back and Ronald Araujo played a smart back-heel to tee up Szobozlai, who finished well.

Shortly after half-time, Bradley Barcola - making his first Liverpool start since his £123m move from Paris St-Germain - missed a glorious opportunity when he fired wide but a minute later, Mac Allister got the winner when he got on the end of a loose ball and rifled home in front of the Kop.

There was a slight scare for Liverpool when Barcola went down with cramp and the Frenchman had to be replaced on the hour mark but Iraola's side held on for a crucial three points.

Arsenal may have had chances to make the scoreline more convincing, but they still got the job done and remain unbeaten this season.

Let’s head over to the North West now and recap Liverpool’s evening - and that winning goal from Alexis Mac Allister.

Arsenal

• Arsenal have won their last 13 group stage games in the Champions League, the second-longest run in the competition's history after Bayern Munich (17 between December 2020 and November 2023).
• Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard scored his first Champions League goal since March 2025 (2 vs PSV), while three of his six goals overall in the competition have come from outside the box.

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

Odegaard gave a flavour of what was to come in the Community Shield win against Manchester City in Cardiff with an audacious final goal in Arsenal's 3-0 win, sitting down keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma before passing the ball into an empty net.

He scored in the 3-0 victory against Coventry City, also scoring the winner as Arsenal came from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 at Emirates Stadium to maintain their 100% start.

His winner in Naples, was the work of a lavishly gifted player finally operating at the peak of his powers once more, fully fit and playing in a team overflowing with the confidence and self-belief long-awaited success has given them.

It was a win Arsenal needed, because they face some tough Champions League assignments on the road ahead, such as a home game with Real Madrid and a visit to Bayern Munich.

The manner in which they patiently broke down Napoli's resistance, with the Serie A side utilising a defensive shield straight from veteran coach Max Allegri's well-thumbed playbook, showed calmness and maturity.

In every act this season, Arsenal already look like a side ready to build on their achievements of last term.

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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, speaking to TNT Sports: "Fully deserved three points.

"The performance probably doesn't reflect the result, the team was superb. We showed quality in a lot of moments to break them down, and it was a shame because we missed so many great chances.

"On any other day the result would be different."

On captain Martin Odegaard: "Martin is contributing with goals that are impacting results, which is what we want from our attacking players, being decisive, and certainly he was again today."

"We should have done it in a different way because of the amount of chances we created."

Let's see what Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta thought of the performance...

Arsenal starting XI:

David Raya: Fortunate to escape unpunished after spilling an attempt by Kevin de Bruyne from outside the box. 6

Piero Hincapie: One of four players making their first starts of the season. Fired over from close range when it seemed easier to score. 6

Gabriel Magalhaes: Dominant performance at the heart of the defence and produced some strong challenges. 7

Ezri Konsa: Worked hard as the Gunners kept another clean sheet. His passing was also decent. 7

Ben White: Eager to burst forward and supply crosses into the box. Did well to react first after Raya spilled a Kevin de Bruyne attempt. 6

Declan Rice: Work rate could not be faulted. 6

Mikel Merino: Should have marked his first Arsenal start since January with a goal but headed straight at the keeper. 6

Eberechi Eze: First start of the season. Early attempt deflected over the bar but was also lucky to escape a caution. 6

Martin Odegaard: Captain to the rescue with an outstanding finish from outside the box as Arsenal looked set for a frustrating night. 8

Bukayo Saka: Busy performance and registered five attempts alone in the first half. Wasted one glorious chance when he lifted it over the bar and had one acrobatic effort straight at the keeper. 6

Viktor Gyokeres: Had just six touches in the first half and struggled to make an impact on his first start of the season. 5

Arsenal substitutes:

Bruno Guimaraes (on 65, Merino): Helped his team to three points. 5

Christos Tzolis (on 65, Eze): Sent the ball into orbit while attempting a shot before providing the assist for the winner. 5

Kai Havertz (on 73, Gyokeres): Helped his side to an important win. 5

Noni Madueke (on 73, Saka): Worked hard after coming on. 5

Martin Zubimendi (on 82, White)

Subs not used: Kepa Arrizabalaga, Illan Meslier, Riccardo Calafiori, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Max Dowman.

Nedum Onuoha
Former Manchester City defender on MOTD: UEFA Champions League

I don't think at the moment Gyokeres is really elevating Arsenal to that next stage because there are certain parts of his game that, in terms of general play, it feels different to some of the other players in there.

I am sure Mikel Arteta is still more than happy for him to play the game the way that he does do it, and his effort is not the issue here, but he is just different.

I think some of the praise that Arsenal have received in recent weeks has been because of their fluidity in terms of how they have attacked, and, the way Gyokeres has been playing, that's not where he is at right now.

That's not to say he can't necessarily be in that position, but you get the feeling at this moment in time there is a reason why Havertz is the preferred striker, and tonight was another example because after Havertz came on, the game felt different.

Arsenal created chances before that and Gyokeres created a chance or two himself, but Arsenal just felt like a different team when Havertz was in there, maybe because there were some more familiar faces coming on to the pitch as well, the likes of Christos Tzolis and so on, but they looked different and it felt different, it felt more familiar.

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