Granit Xhaka's five-word response to Liverpool defeat sums it all up

Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka hailed Liverpool after their 4-0 defeat to the Reds in the Champions League.

Xabi Alonso side went in at half time at Anfield with the score sitting at 0-0, only to then concede four goals in the second half as Liverpool ran rampant. Luis Diaz bagged a second half hat-trick, while Cody Gakpo also found the back of the net once again.

And the win means Liverpool maintained their unbeaten start to life in the Champions League this term. So far this season, the Reds have recorded wins over AC Milan, Bologna, RB Leipzig and now Leverkusen.

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Their next European test will see them welcome to Anfield a Real Madrid side who are not firing on all cylinders this term despite the arrival of Kylian Mbappe in the Spanish capital. And if last terms Champions League winners do not heed the warning of Xhaka, who played all 90 minutes in the middle of the park for Leverkusen, then Real Madrid could be in for a long evening on November 27th.

Speaking after the game, Xhaka said: "You learn from the best." The Swiss midfielder added: "It hurts to lose, whether it is here or elsewhere. We conceded goals too easily. At this level it's very easy to concede if you don't win the 50/50 duels in your own penalty area."

If there's anyone who knows about how difficult life at Anfield can be for the away team, it's Xhaka. Back during the 2022/23 season, which saw Arsenal challenge Manchester City for the Premier League for majority of the campaign, Xhaka and the Gunners found themselves 2-0 up against the Reds.

However, the Swiss midfielder put in a late challenge on Trent Alexander-Arnold, which resulted in the Anfield crowd getting riled up, creating a fervent atmosphere inside the stadium. Almost immediately after, Liverpool grabbed a goal back before half-time, with Liverpool then ending up finding an equaliser in the second half to draw the game 2-2, a result which damaged Arsenal's title bid.

Had they won, the Gunners would have pulled eight points clear of Manchester City at the time. Instead, they only went six points clear. In the end, they lost the title race by five points after losing two of their final three games - with the draw against Liverpool serving as the catalyst for their downturn in results from April onwards.

Liverpool.com says: "On Tuesday night under the lights of Anfield, Liverpool blew away Granit Xhaka and Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen, putting four goals past the Bundesliga champions in the second half to maintain their perfect record in Europe. We may only be a quarter of the way through the 2024/25 campaign, but Liverpool could be on track to do something special this term."