Liverpool have no chance of Champions League progress against Real Madrid, says

Sky Sports’ Paul Merson pens latest column on Liverpool returning to square one after their shock defeat at Bournemouth, Chelsea’s perfect week and the title race as Leandro Trossard and Martin Odegaard shone in Arsenal’s win at Fulham while Man City edged past Crystal Palace

Managers have to keep level-headed and so do players. Liverpool had a great result against Manchester United that will put them in the history books but then you’ve got to turn up and perform at Bournemouth.

When you watch the Bournemouth game you think, ‘What chance have Liverpool got at Real Madrid?’ Needing to score three, at least, is a big ask, it would be one of the greatest Champions League comebacks of all time. Barcelona did it against PSG but that was at home. This is away at the cup holders. If it was two goals then you never know, but three…I give them no chance.

This is why wherever you go in the world, the Premier League is being shown because one of the bottom three teams can beat one of the top teams. You never get it where Bournemouth rest everybody for next week’s game because they don’t think they’ll beat Liverpool. That doesn’t happen in the Premier League and that’s why it’s the best league in the world.

Tottenham have won five of their last seven in the Premier League. They had a shocking result in midweek against AC Milan but that’s football. They’ve bounced back to beat a poor Nottingham Forest away side who are chalk and cheese home and away. The top four is in their hands and if they win their next two games against Southampton and Everton they’ll be hard to chase down.

Chelsea are a dangerous animal

Chelsea are a dangerous animal, they’ve got some unbelievable players and they just need to click – at times against Leicester they did.

Bad teams don’t score the goals like they did, two of them were unbelievable. Kai Havertz’s flick has to go down as one of the goals of the season, you’re not seeing that on a Sunday morning.

It was an outstanding week for Chelsea, with wins over Leeds, Dortmund and Leicester, and now with Everton at home next they can get on a roll. Football is a funny game how it can change so quickly, you’ve only got to look at Liverpool losing at Bournemouth.

Graham Potter has switched to three at the back and it’s working. It’s taken a while for him to get it right but it’s 100 per cent better than with four in defence.

And he still hasn’t got Reece James. Ruben Loftus-Cheek filled in for him on Saturday and played well but when James comes back you’ve got one of the best of the…