Gags Tandon: 'Liverpool's Champions League exit takes pressure off in Premier League'

Yahoo

12-03-2025

Liverpool bowed out of the Champions League in heartbreaking fashion, losing to PSG on penalties after a fiercely contested tie. On The Gags Tandon Show from Anfield Index, Gags Tandon and Jack McIndoe shared their immediate post-match reactions, analysing the game's key moments, Liverpool's future under Arne Slot, and the Premier League title race implications.
Liverpool fans had hoped for another memorable European night, but PSG proved to be formidable opponents. Reflecting on the game, Gags captured the sentiment of many:
'We were laughing this time last week… now it's our time to cry, Jack. That's football.'
Jack echoed the disappointment, pointing out that despite Liverpool's strong second-half performance, they simply ran out of steam:
'You could see we were knackered… but so were they, to be honest.'
Liverpool had opportunities but failed to capitalise, a cruel mirror of the first leg in Paris. 'We did exactly what PSG did in the first leg – didn't put our chances away,' Gags noted.
Despite the disappointment, both Gags and Jack remained optimistic about Liverpool's trajectory under Arne Slot. Jack highlighted how this season has still been a success:
'If we come away with the Premier League, we'll be happy. The league title is the real prize.'
Gags agreed, stating that the loss could actually help Liverpool by removing fixture congestion:
'This is going to free up and give us a whole load of space every week to play our first team the whole season now.'
With key players suffering from fatigue, this break might be a blessing in disguise as Liverpool push for domestic glory.
Football can be decided by the finest of margins, and this tie was no different. Gags pointed out that PSG's decisive goal came from a 'tapping on the line' after a defensive lapse. He also questioned some officiating decisions:
'I do think Barcola was offside… don't know how they even showed that animation at halftime. Looked offside to me.'
Meanwhile, Jack reflected on how Liverpool struggled in extra time:
'Liverpool had nothing in that second half of extra time. We were just camping in our own box.'
By that point, it felt inevitable that the game would be settled by penalties, where PSG held their nerve.
While Champions League elimination stings, Liverpool fans can still dream of domestic glory. The Premier League remains the priority, and as Jack pointed out, this loss might actually benefit Liverpool in the long run:
'This takes the pressure off in the Premier League… we can just go for it now.'
Gags set out the challenge for the squad:
'We've got nine league games to make a dream come true – literally getting to twenty league titles and sticking it to United fans.'
With key fixtures ahead, the focus now shifts to finishing the season strong and securing another title for the club.
As the discussion wrapped up, both Gags and Jack gave credit to PSG for their performance but reminded Liverpool fans of the bigger picture.
'Well done, PSG… we laughed last week, you laugh this week. All good.' – Gags
While the pain of elimination is real, Liverpool's season is far from over. The Reds still have plenty to play for, and if they can channel this disappointment into their league campaign, there could still be a parade through the city come May.