Clinton Morrison: I would like Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest to finish in the top four
Will Jackson 
Popular pundit Clinton Morrison has joined up with the Freebets.com team this season to discuss the biggest games and talking points each week in the EFL.
The former Crystal Palace, Birmingham and Republic of Ireland striker will be giving his views and predictions on the pick of the matches each week, as well going over some of the hot topics in the football world.
This week Clinton discusses the Champions League first legs of the last 16, why Alisson could be the difference for Liverpool in their quest to go all the way, the horror-tackle on Jean-Philippe Mateta and who he would like to see finish in the top four of the Premier League.
Here's a full transcript of everything discussed this week.
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Alisson Wonderland
Q: We’ve just had the first legs of the Champions League knockouts finish. PSG v Liverpool on Wednesday night, that was a great game wasn’t it?
It was a great game. I think Alisson had the best game I've seen him have to be fair, I thought he was fantastic. PSG were probably unlucky - they were outstanding - Kvaratskhelia was the best player on the pitch. What a signing he's been from Napoli, he looked really good and caused all kinds of problems.
But Liverpool did what they had to do and came back with a one-goal lead somehow.
Now going to Anfield, you make Liverpool strong favourites, even if they had been 0-0, you'd made them strong favourites but they know they're in a game, because they know PSG have their attacking qualities so it's going to be really difficult.
But when you go to places like PSG you're going to have a lot of defending to do. You're going to need your colleagues to have an outstanding game and that's what Alisson did. It's a big win for Liverpool.
Q: I thought you could tell the difference between the standard of the two keepers. You've got Alisson who is a top keeper, and Donnarumma is obviously a very good keeper, but the goal he conceded and got half a hand on - that’s the kind of save Alisson was making throughout the game…
We saw what Donnarumma did to England in the Euros final so he is a top quality goalkeeper, but I wouldn't say he's on the level of Alisson at the moment.
He's a good goalkeeper. He's a big presence, but once you get your hand to it, you should be strong enough to parry it anyway.
But Alisson just proved that he's the best, if not one of the best in the world at the moment.
Q: It was a new-look PSG team from the megastars of the past, and they looked a really cohesive, fluent, attacking side full of talent. Did they surprise you at all?
I think the difference is when they had the likes of Neymar and Mbappe, it's a bit ‘go and win us the game’ whereas now they look a bit more together as a team, PSG.
That's why they didn't get further in the past. But now they have got good midfielders, technicians that get on the ball and in the front three, they've got players that can go and cause all kinds of problems.
The tie is definitely not over. Liverpool are the favourites. But Luis Enrique is building a really good team that is not just about individual stars, it's about the team collectively.
They were really unfortunate not to come away with anything.
They'll be disappointed, but sometimes you have a goalkeeper has one of those days.
Q: WBut in terms of Liverpool. Not playing that well, still getting the result is the classic performance of champions, isn't it?
That's the sign of champions and a sign of quality when you're not playing to your maximum, but you're still managing to get results. And that's when I say sometimes you need your big players and Alisson is a big player to step up.
To come away with a win like that, on crucial nights when other players are probably not getting any joy is the sign of a top quality team and credit must go to Arne Slott because obviously since going in there, he's done a fantastic job, not only in the Premier League but also in the Champions League.
Liverpool have a chance now. I know Real Madrid are still in it and Bayern Munich had a good result as well but there's a lot of still top teams left in it, Arsenal too.
You'd probably make Liverpool and Real Madrid favourites at the moment in the Champions League. But they've still got to overcome the second leg because PSG are still in it massively.
Arsenal v PSV
Q: We spoke about PSV Arsenal last week and you tipped a PSV win….
Wow. The tie is over already! I don't know what I was thinking, I must have been talking about the youth team being Arsenal's youth team because that went horribly wrong. I've never seen such a one-sided game of football in all my life. When you get to this stage of the Champions League it should be more competitive than that, and it just goes to show the gulf between the leagues in my eyes.
To be fair, I thought Arsenal were fantastic. Everyone's talking about Arsenal not having a striker, well, they didn't need a striker because their midfielders were brilliant. Their wide players were good and young Nwaneri was outstanding. I thought he was fantastic for someone at such a young age, he’s got such a mature head on young shoulders.
I just thought they were excellent. Credit Arteta, a lot of people have been critical of him recently but he changed it. It felt like he played Declan Rice and Merino as two false number nines and I don't think PSV knew how to handle them.
I don't care what anyone says, the tie is over.
I know Arteta won't take his foot off the gas, but they've got two big games in between that including Man United and Chelsea and the London Derby after that. So it leaves Mika Arteta in a really good position.
Q: So you still fancy Liverpool and Real Madrid to go all the way, but what is it about Arsenal you don’t see in this competition?
It’s the attacking options. Unless they get Saka or Martinelli back, they don’t have the options to really challenge in my opinion.
That would be it, because defensively they are fantastic with the backbone of Gabriel, Saliba and David Raya. Throw in the likes of Timber and Lewis-Skelly and they are really strong at the back, it’s just their attacking. If they had Saka or Martinelli available then maybe they could compete, but at the moment I think they’ll just fall short.
Q: They’d be in line to play Real Madrid if they go through too…
Yeah, and they're probably the ones that everyone's tipping to go and win - but they’re not through yet because Atletico Madrid is a hard place to go.
It's only 2-1 but you look at the front four - which didn’t include Bellingham on Wednesday - and the quality all over the pitch, a manager who's been there, seen it, done it…they have everything they need.
Aston Villa v Club Brugge
Q: Good win for Villa too away from home. But maybe the scoreline flattered them a little bit?
You're right, Brugge missed some chances. But Villa were outstanding. And Emery can turn to his bench and bring on the likes of Asensio, Ramsey. They made a quadruple substitution and every one of them came on and had an impact. Matty Cash came on for Disasi and got the penalty and Asensio looked like he was never going to miss. It's a fantastic result to go back to Villa Park with a 3-1 win.
They have a manager in Unai Emery who knows Europe ever so well. It's good times for Aston Villa. They'll definitely go through to the next stage and as I say, the job he's done there, Villa fans must be dreaming at the moment and that was a fantastic performance.
Even the team selection surprised me a little bit but they all had an impact. Everything he touches at the moment is turning to gold. Full credit must go to them.
Champions League Favourites?
Q: In terms of like the rest of the ties and the first leg results, does Atletico v Real look like the best game of next week?
That's the big one next week. I’m looking forward to that one because Alvarez got a hell of a goal and the tie is open.
You still make Real Madrid favorites for sure, but it's wide open. If Athletico Madrid get an early goal, you know Simeone's teams can be hard to break down.
Mateta Tackle
Q: Back to domestic matters and the big talking point from the FA Cup weekend. As a former striker and former Crystal Palace player, what did you make of the tackle on Jean-Philippe Mateta, and the decision not to send the goalkeeper off originally?
It's a terrible tackle.
I'm just glad that Mateta is alright. I think they've said he had 25 stitches in his ear, so you know it's a bad one when you're having that many stitches. But as I said, first and foremost, it's all about Mateta and his health so I'm glad he's healthy and he's out of hospital and at home recovering.
It was a bad tackle. It's one of those where you see the goalkeeper coming for it and he's come with his feet, but then he's caught Meteta. And that is one of our best referees - and I do like Michael Oliver, I think he's a fantastic referee - but I don't understand how he's missed it. But that is when people always want to complain about VAR.
VAR has done its job. I thought VAR handled the situation well, told him to go and look at the monitor and it was the right call to give a red card. It was a bad challenge.
I just think Michael Oliver, he missed itWe're all human, everyone can make a mistake and he'll probably hold his hand up and say ‘I made a mistake. Yeah, I got the call wrong’.
Thankfully, VAR got it right and was there to be used in this FA Cup game because if it was the round before VAR wouldn't have been in it and he would have got away with it. So I think VAR made the right call and helped Michael Oliver. That's what VAR is there for is to help the referee. But I was surprised someone of his quality missed that one.
Q: There has been talk of the goalkeeper getting more than a three-match ban. Do you think that would be fair?
I don't know, because obviously passions are high after the game and so you heard everyone speaking and saying it was a horrendous tackle.
He couldn’t have gone in with his hands but I don't know why he came with his feet because in that position, really and truly, you just go with your head.
And I know you could clash heads but he did endanger Mateta and it was a bad one.
In terms of the ban, it’s a hard one isn’t it? It is a very, very bad tackle but it was in the heat of the moment and I don’t think it was intentional.
I think a three-game ban is probably fair. It was reckless and out of control, but I think it is the right decision.
I don’t think the young lad Roberts has deliberately gone and done it, no chance. I actually do think he genuinely did go for the ball, but it was a stupid tackle and a very stupid decision and maybe should have gone with his head instead of his feet.
Nottingham Forest v Manchester City
Q: Moving onto the Premier League this weekend, and it kicks off with Nottingham Forest v Man City.Quite a big game in the race for the top four, isn't it? Are Forest running out of steam a little bit?
I was at the FA Cup game the other day and they went to extra time, so that probably didn't help Nuno and with their style of play - they have the least amount of the ball in the league I think - probably doesn’t help when they’re starting to tire, but they are really hard to beat and have been a terrific story this season.
Man City will dominate the football, but Forest will be hard to breakdown because defensively they've been outstanding and they have threats with Hudson-Odoi, Elanga, Gibbs-White and Wood.
Anderson in midfield can cause Man City problems too. And you know what Man City are like when they're dominating possession, they're most vulnerable on the counterattack. It will be a fascinating game.
I think it'll be a draw. I think it'll be a 1-1 draw. I do actually think it'd be really close and I think Forrest can cause them problems on the counter when City are dominating. We've seen that this season with City but they have the firepower and Haaland is back. So it can cause them problems.
Top Four Contenders?
It's going to be Liverpool, Arsenal and Man City, those three will definitely be in there, and the rest is really tight.
And then you don't know, Chelsea are in good form and I think fifth place might be enough for the Champions League. It'll probably be a shootout between Forest, Brighton and I wouldn't rule out Aston Villa in it either. I think Newcastle will finish in the top five too, it’s such a hard one!
I think Forrest being there all season should fancy themselves to nick it.
That's going to go right down to the wire.
I think we need to revisit that in a couple of weeks to see where we are.
It is exciting because look at Bournemouth. Imagine Bournemouth in the Champions League. It would be brilliant news for Bournemouth to be in a Champions League like fantastic for Iraola, what he's done at that football club. It'd be fantastic.
I would like to see Bournemouth and Forest do it. I think it would be a great achievement. I don't mind saying that because I just feel like two teams like that who have been fighting relegation for a few seasons. And then next season they're fighting for the Champions League.
Q: How do you see the top four ending up this season? Because I think there's five points separating Forest from Brighton who are down in eighth.
Manchester United v Arsenal
Q: Finally it’s Man United Arsenal on Sunday. What do you make of that? I mean, United have got a big game in the Europa League tonight, but without the FA Cup, Amorim needs a result
It's crazy when you see what Ruben Amorim has gone in there and done and kind of change the formation straight away and sometimes as a manager if you're not getting the best out of the players just go back to that formation in the summer because you need to get results and we all like Ruben, he's really good speaker to the media, but that's not your job. Your job is to get results on the football pitch. And at the moment, Man United, you're out of the FA Cup.
The only thing you've got is Europa League, which you have a good chance, but you've got a tough tie. You've got a hard game in the Europa League. So it's going to be difficult and Man United could be for the first time in years finishing in the bottom half of the table. It's Man United Football Club. It is crazy.
I just don't get, I just, I think, listen, he's not going to lose his job, Ruben Amorim, and I think he already knows that. I think they'd be a bit crazy to do that. I think he needs to get rid of players in the summer and he needs to rebuild and bring in his own players. And then I think we can judge him, but it's not been good.
I thought he'd come in and be a lot better than I'm seeing from Man United. And Man United fans must be really disappointed with what they're seeing at the moment with the way things are going.
Q: What do you make of Rasmus Hojlund up front? Because he was brought in for a lot of money, Amorim had a lot of success at his previous club with the striker and we’ve been waiting for it to work but is there something missing? Do you look at him and see a player that eventually will come good or is there something missing?
I'm hoping he comes good. I'm just not seeing it at the moment, but maybe they're not creating enough chances for him and he's low on confidence.
And I do think they need to bring in another striker. I think when you've only got one striker as a natural number nine in the building, you do get comfortable as a striker and you think, oh, there's not really a lot of pressure on me. But you've seen before Ruben Amerins left him on the bench and played a false number nine so you know that's an area where he's going to look to strengthen in the summer.
I would love him to be a success at Man United. But I think evidently come the summer, Man United will be looking to strengthen in that area.
You never know in the summer they might look to get rid of him because you need to balance the books to try and bring in for the PSR to bring in another striker. So it's going to be hard. I think from now to the end of the season, if he can start firing goals it will give him confidence.
But that's what he's just got to keep getting in there, Hojlund. Don't ever be afraid to miss because when you're not getting the chances, that's when I start worrying. But if you're still getting the chances, you're missing him.
Eventually one will go in and it will drop for you but the day you stop getting in there then it will be much more difficult to find the back of the net. And young Obi came on and made a big difference. He looked really lively and caused a lot of problems and was getting into goal scoring areas.
Q: At least under Amorim the performances against big sides have been decent…
Oh, definitely. I think it will be really entertaining. I think they kind of sometimes when the bigger teams come against Arsenal, they kind of turn up. You saw it at the Emirates and they do turn up. Amorim has said to his players you can't just turn it up against the big teams, but that's what they're doing at the moment, Man United.
You see them turn up for the big teams and not really turn up when they're playing the so-called lesser team. So it's a big game. It's at Old Trafford. I still think Arsenal would be too strong even without a centre forward, I think Arsenal with the result against PSV, they'll go there full of confidence and Manchester United depending on the result in the Europa League.
If they get a good Europa League result, they might actually go into that game confident. But I can only see Arsenal win.
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