Gary Lineker had 'pretty awful' joke backfire as Liverpool beat Arsenal in FA Cup

Gary Lineker had 'pretty awful' joke backfire as Liverpool beat Arsenal in FA Cup

WATCH NOW: BBC condemned for 'protecting' Gary Lineker

Jack Otway

By Jack Otway


Published: 08/01/2024

- 08:50

The Reds are through to the fourth round of the competition

Gary Lineker made a 'pretty awful' joke as Liverpool beat Arsenal 2-0 on Sunday to make the fourth round of the FA Cup.

The two Premier League giants met at the Emirates Stadium in arguably the biggest match of the competition so far.


And while Arsenal created plenty of chances, their lack of killer instinct cost them dear as they exited the competition.

An own goal from Jakub Kiwior put Liverpool ahead with just 10 minutes of the match remaining.

Gary Lineker Arsenal Liverpool

Gary Lineker admitted he made a 'pretty awful' joke as Liverpool beat Arsenal in the FA Cup

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Luiz Diaz then struck in injury time, expertly rifling past Aaron Ramsdale to send the visitors through.

With the match televised by the BBC, Lineker was on presenting duties.

The cameras cut to Gary Barlow in the crowd, with the Take That star watching on from inside the Emirates.

Lineker then asked pundit Danny Murphy whether Barlow was a Liverpool fan.

Murphy replied by saying: "I think he is, yeah."

Lineker then decided to quip back: "But don't take that as a given, how about that one?"

An awkward silence then descended on the studio, with both Murphy and Lineker confused.

The BBC presenter then admitted: "Yeah it was a pretty awful one wasn't it."

Lineker then moved on.

Liverpool fans will be delighted on Monday morning, with the Reds continuing to fire on all cylinders.

Jurgen Klopp was pleased with the way his side improved in the second half, having been forced to survive an early Arsenal onslaught.

"Everything was better in the second half," said the German.

"The first half… it’s difficult to prepare for something that Arsenal did tonight, for the full 90 minutes pretty much I would say but especially in the first half, the different set-up with [Kai] Havertz and [Martin] Odegaard more or less a double 10. It was a 4-2-2-2 with wingers wide, a massive threat.

"So, we had a few days’ time to prepare for this difficult game, obviously with a slightly different team, and then in the last second Virgil [van Dijk] couldn’t play. That didn’t help.

"Timing was bad in the first half for pressing, for pretty much everything in the first line. That makes it tricky for the midfield and nearly impossible for the last line.

"So we had to defend deeper and had to block balls and stuff like this, but that’s then football as well, then you have to show desire, passion, determination and these kinds of things, which the boys showed.

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Liverpool beat Arsenal 2-0 on Sunday night to make the fourth round of the FA Cup

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"And then we changed obviously as well quite a bit and that caused then Arsenal problems.

"That’s how football is. These little parts, you cannot be always that influential.

"But as little influence as I had in the first half on what they did, I would say as little as the influence for Mikel [Arteta] in a moment like that.

As for Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, the Spaniard was worried after his team failed to score at home for the second match in a row.

"Probably it has, especially after today," he said when asked if his forwards had any mental issues when it comes to scoring goals.

Arsenal Mikel Arteta Liverpool

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is worried about his forwards after his side's FA Cup defeat to Liverpool

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"That’s why we need to reset. Merit-wise there is no question that we deserve to win the games but the results are very different.

"If the team is getting hammered I’d be much more worried.

"But when my team plays with that courage and attitude against probably the best team in Europe right now in terms of momentum, what can I do but stick by them and support them?”

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