Liverpool 5-2 Roma: Post-Match Thoughts

Rome wasn’t built in a day, but it looks to have fallen in the space of ninety minutes. Eusebio Di Francesco had marshalled his men through to this point, conquering the likes of Barcelona along the way, but venturing to the fields of Anfield Road was a stretch too far for the Italians. One of the greatest performances ever witnessed in a European semi-final saw Roma put to the sword; a rampant Liverpool smashed five past them, and in truth could have had many more. A late rally from the vanquished side saw them steal two away goals, but Klopp can now march on Rome with a three-goal lead. 

It says something about the new standards that the German has instilled that many fans came away from the match with at least a hint of frustration. The very notion that a performance in which five goals are scored in a Champions League semi-final is somehow not good enough is a bizarre one, and yet that was the feeling amongst some – the two late goals were sloppy ones to concede, and introduced at least a tiny hint of doubt into Liverpool minds. However, to dwell on this would be absurdly negative. Five goals. In a semi-final. The magnitude of the achievement is hard to take in. The Anfield side have very much announced their return to the top level of the game, and they are making opponents at that level look amateur. Such are the usually fine margins at this rarefied peak of the sport, fifteen of the last seventeen home first-leg winners have gone on to win the tie – a home win is often the slight advantage that can settle things, and Liverpool have produced a home demolition. A Champions League final is in touching distance: this is not a time for negativity, this is the most exciting time to be a Liverpool fan in at least a decade.

Not least amongst the reasons for this excitement is a certain Mo Salah. The Egyptian once again produced a display of the highest quality, tormenting his former club with his pace, trickery and finishing. Oh, the finishing. The first was a masterpiece of both power and precision, rifling a strike into the very top corner after he had been allowed to cut inside from the right. Alisson, arguably Roma’s best player this season, was left helpless as the ball flew past him: this was a feeling he would be getting used to for the rest of the night. The second goal, in its own way, was just as good: Salah timed his run to perfection before delicately lifting the ball over the onrushing Brazilian stopper. Anfield held its breath as it looped up – would it drop in? The colossal roar that followed provided the answer. 

This is far from a one-man team, however: both of the other members of the front three would hit the net before the night was done. It was Sadio Mane who made it three, sending the Liverpool fans into total raptures – he had missed some big opportunities in the first half, but was in the right place to turn home a cross from close range. Firmino, who had registered the assist for both of the Salah goals, then set about getting on the scoresheet himself. His first was almost a carbon copy of Mane’s goal. He showed the awareness to pick up a good position, and reaped his reward with an easy finish. His second, to bring the team’s goal tally up to a staggering five, was a simple header from a Milner corner; Roma looked broken, and could not even master the basics at this point. Incidentally, the assist makes Milner the all-time leading assister for a single Champions League season: this fittingly marks his remarkable renaissance. The injury to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, so devastating on a personal level for a player just beginning to hit the form of his career, makes it all the more important that Milner can keep up these high standards.

Of course, the game ended on something of a sour note. Lovren, who had been integral to repelling Roma’s early onslaught in the first half, was caught out – a relatively simple ball over the top towards Dzeko was misjudged, and the Bosnian had time to take it down and finish past Karius at the near post. Then came the penalty: Milner was perhaps naïve to have his arm out as he moved to block the ball, but it is nonetheless a harsh interpretation to call it a deliberate handball. In any case, Perotti converted the penalty coolly to give Roma at least a semblance of hope. However, in any other circumstances, would Roma’s chances even be under genuine discussion having lost the first leg by three goals? The combination of the timing of their two goals and their success in overturning a margin of the same size against Barcelona in the last round have made people underplay the enormity of Liverpool’s achievement. There is an almost an attitude that it is ‘only’ three goals, and that somehow Klopp’s men are still very vulnerable going into the second leg. Anything could happen, that goes without saying, but whether the lead is three or five it would take a disaster to throw it away in Rome. The Anfield side are undoubtedly in the ascendency, and firmly so – for this, every single player on the pitch deserves immense credit.

- @JamesMartin013

Liverpool 3-0 Manchester City: Reds Deliver Under the Lights

There are nights when everything just comes together for a football team. Each of the players knows their role and executes it perfectly, spurred on by a crowd in full voice, against an opposition cowed by the perfect storm of the hostile atmosphere and the class of what they have found themselves up against. This was one of those nights. Liverpool is synonymous with European nights, and City felt the full force of that pedigree as they were simply blown away by one of the all-time great performances in the Champions League.

It is hard to know where to start in analysing the win, as every single player in a red shirt did all that could be expected of them and more. However, even amongst this sea of quality, Trent Alexander-Arnold deserves to be singled out for praise. He was recently made to endure torrid times against both Anthony Martial and Wilfried Zaha; prior to the game, many were worried about how he would fare against Leroy Sane, a front-runner for the Young Player of the Year award and an undeniably mercurial talent. Not only did he cope, he completely pocketed the German – it was plain that Guardiola had sent his men out to target Alexander-Arnold’s flank, but the local boy ensured that this decision would be one the manager came to regret. Any full-back who put in such a performance would have had praise heaped on them: for it to be a 19 year-old, in the context of a relatively rough patch of form that brought his performance on this biggest of stages under significant scrutiny, is nothing short of remarkable. It is testament to his character as well as his ability, and it reinforced the point that he has the attributes to make that spot his own for many years to come. 

It would be remiss to praise the full-back without also giving credit to both Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Gini Wijnaldum. In the first half, it was the former Arsenal man who was tasked with doubling up on Sane to ensure that he could get no joy. His discipline was relentless, and when Trent was covering the winger Oxlade-Chamberlain was never far away. The first ten minutes in particular highlighted his immense versatility – City dominated possession in the early stages, and the summer acquisition essentially sat in as a right wing-back directly in front of the conventional full-back to ensure there would be no overload down the flank. Once the crowd had roared Liverpool into the ascendency, unperturbed by City’s attempts to calm things down, Chamberlain showed just what he had to offer going the other way: after the industry of Firmino and the composure of Salah had made the first goal, he positively rifled in the second from long range. It was a sumptuous strike, leaving Ederson helpless: everything about his performance was deserving of such a goal. Wijnaldum took over the role for the bulk of the second half, following Salah’s precautionary withdrawal. Few players have the diverse skill set that makes Oxlade-Chamberlain so useful, so it was far from a given that the Dutchman would be able to step up and ensure Alexander-Arnold remained well-protected while still offering something going forward. However, he performed the task equally well. At times this season he has looked lost on the pitch, floating around without seeming to know his purpose – on the night he was machine-like, carrying out his instructions methodically and perfectly. Sane did not get any more joy after the introduction of Wijnaldum, and when Liverpool did manage to recover the ball he was instrumental in surging out of the defensive third and relieving pressure. It is refreshing to know that Liverpool have a degree of depth in the squad that allows such tidy players to be called upon when needed.

The final player worth singling out for special praise is the scorer of Liverpool’s third goal, Sadio Mane. The goal itself was impressive: an inch-perfect floated cross from Salah was met emphatically by the Senegalese winger, who powered a textbook header past Ederson. However, it was the overall performance that was most admirable. His touch, the one thing that has looked consistently less than its best for him this season, was largely faultless. His runs were direct and positive, the best of which left Otamendi on the floor. His decision-making was spot on, never running down blind alleys or ignoring passing options. A Mane in this sort of form is just as unplayable as his Egyptian counterpart on the other side – certainly City were not equipped to handle either of them.

Ultimately, though, not one player let the side down. Every last man put in one of the performances of their lives, and those that think the atmosphere had no part to play just don’t grasp football. James Milner took a video of the coach’s arrival, from inside the team bus itself: pulling in through streets lined with fans wielding banners and flairs, singing the praises of the Liverpool players on that bus, could hardly fail to inspire them. Equally, City cannot have enjoyed the wall of jeers that first met them on Anfield Road and continued throughout the ninety minutes inside the stadium. It was intimidating, the kind of support City could only dream of conjuring up, the kind of support that only really comes with true European pedigree. Nobody would deny that football is about fine margins, so if the crowd can give their players that extra level while even just slightly overawing the opposition then it is of course capable of making all the difference. This is what was witnessed at Anfield.

It would be easy to forget just how good a side Manchester City have proved themselves to be this season. This very weekend they will have the opportunity to formally wrap up the league title with more than a month to spare, and only one club – you guessed it – have been able to beat them in the league all season. The case can be made that they are the best technical side in Europe: indeed, many were making that case before their drubbing at the hands of Klopp’s men. If they can be dismantled in this way, so can any of the teams left in the competition: Liverpool will go to the Etihad not only confident that they can see the tie out, but that they have the potential to go all the way. Of course, the hardest work is yet to come, but when he came to the helm Klopp called for fans to be believers rather than doubters: that is an easy call to answer after a night like this.

- James Martin (@JamesMartin013)

Looking Back at Palace, Looking Forward to City

Jurgen Klopp described the victory over Crystal Palace as a “dirty win”. It was certainly a gritty performance – a lacklustre first-half display required a big response in the second half, and the players duly came out with enough determination and persistence to finally grab a winner in the closing stages. There have been more convincing wins over the course of the season, but in many ways this one was the biggest indicator of how far the team has come under Klopp’s tenure: Liverpool have always had a big scoreline in them, but in the recent past have often struggled to show an ability to drag themselves back from behind against the ‘lesser’ teams. That said, it will need to be the ‘other’ Liverpool who report for duty on Wednesday night: Manchester City are anything but a lesser team, and it will take pure firepower to blow them away.

The trip to Selhurst Park was never going to be an easy game for Liverpool. Not only have Palace become something of a bogey team in recent times, 12:30 kick-offs have also proved difficult for the current crop of players. Perhaps it is something to do with the high-intensity tactics that Klopp demands – regardless, there were plenty of reasons to fear that the three points would not be straightforward. So it proved: the early kick-off was actually beneficial in that it gives the team slightly more rest prior to the massive match against City, but sure enough it seemed to take the team a while to get going. Alexander-Arnold is still a teenager – it showed that he might rather still be in bed, as he was repeatedly skinned by Wilfried Zaha in the early stages. It was this that led to the goal. A Benteke flick-on was not anticipated by the promising youngster, and Zaha nipped round him and reached the ball before an onrushing Karius could get there. A penalty was correctly awarded, and Milivojevic slotted it away with characteristic coolness. Liverpool could have had a penalty of their own moments later, after Sadio Mane flung himself down following contact in the box, but in general chances were hard to come by in the first period.

Fortunately, the second half saw a highly pleasing response. Liverpool were level inside ten minutes, the much-maligned Mane finally getting some luck as he poked home at the near post to make it 1-1. Palace came on strongly after this, but Klopp’s men weathered the storm – Karius should take credit for an important save, and it must be said that the referee deserves some thanks for bizarrely failing to show Mane a second yellow card for a handball. Perhaps wisely, the Senegalese winger was withdrawn shortly afterwards – his replacement, Oxlade-Chamberlain, had a very positive impact. He was notionally a straight swap for Mane, but it was clear that he enjoys a more central role; he drifted inside regularly, and his driving runs from there caused the Palace defence a headache. Another change, this one enforced, was also key: Lallana’s terrible luck with injuries continued, but Klopp responded with a masterstroke by replacing him with Lovren and switching to three at the back. The full-backs, freed from their defensive shackles, were given a new lease of life – both of their Palace counterparts were terrorised, as Alexander-Arnold in particular put in a series of teasing crosses. In the end, though, it was Robertson who made the telling ball. He found Mo Salah in the middle, who showed his typically unerring composure to sit down Mamadou Sakho and slot it past the keeper for the winner. His debut season has got to the point where it defies description. His latest record at least does some sort of justice to the impact he has had: Salah has now scored in the joint-most league games in a single season, with six matches still left to play.

The focus now shifts to midweek, where everyone will be hoping that Salah can reproduce his mercurial form on the European stage. Indeed, everyone will have to be at their best in order to overcome Guardiola’s Manchester City: a strong case can be made that they are the best team in Europe right now, and nothing short of two perfect games is likely to be good enough over the course of the tie. Still, the players can take encouragement from the fact that they know they are capable of beating City – Pep will not simply discard his philosophy in order to try and handle Klopp’s lethal front three, and in any case he does not have a defence capable of containing them, so there are bound to be gaps left in behind as a result of City’s expansive style. The Anfield advantage could also play a part in the first leg. Guardiola admitted last time out that his players got caught up in it: any advantage Liverpool can get is welcome, and the stadium is bound to be buzzing for the first European quarter-final in nearly a decade. It is vital that the team leave Anfield either level or ahead – ideally City would be prevented from notching up too many away goals, but in a tie that is likely to turn into a frenzied shootout this should not be a factor that serves to inhibit Liverpool’s play.

In many ways, this should be a more enjoyable game than the Palace match. The opposition is both much better overall and defensively less compact – this means that we are better equipped to play against them, but also go in with much less expectation. There will of course be some level of stress: the tantalising prospect of a semi-final in the greatest competition in club football awaits the winners of the tie, so the yearning for a win is intense. However, ultimately, victory or defeat in this matchup will not tell us too much about the overall continued progression of the club: City’s state-funded project effectively lives or dies by rapid success on the biggest stages, whereas Liverpool’s sustainable project remains on track regardless of what happens. Trophies are coming, and hopefully coming soon – whatever the result in this huge tie, that will not change. All that said, victory would be a huge moment not only in the club’s season but in its history: this could prove to be a turning point in our long journey back to the very top.

-          @JamesMartin013

Liverpool: Klopp’s Long Game

Lately, something feels different around Liverpool Football Club. It is not just that performances are improving – although it is clear that they are. The steps being taken feel somehow measured. Since Klopp’s arrival at the helm, there has been a sense that a dial is being incrementally cranked up; it is at times so imperceptible as to prompt pundits to ask if there has been progress at the club at all, but taking a step back and looking at the holistic picture reveals that everything is definitely moving in the right direction. In the past, flirtations with success came about through individual brilliance: 2013/14 was the last genuine title charge, and it was spearheaded by the mercurial Luis Suarez. He tried to haul the team along with him in one great leap – as is so often the case with such things, he fell just short. Now, Philippe Coutinho has come and gone, and yet the steady march forward continues. Step by step. Qualification for the Champions League in consecutive seasons looks very possible for the first time in a decade. Meanwhile, in the current season’s competition, Liverpool are alive and kicking after a decimation of Porto in the round of sixteen. Long-term faults are being looked at and, when the right personnel become available, addressed. In short, a dynasty is being rebuilt from the ground upwards.

Part of the excitement when Klopp took charge at Anfield was down to the fact that he is known for being a manager that commits to a project. Particularly in the modern game, his record makes good reading for a club that needs to be given a long-term direction. Mainz: seven years. Borussia Dortmund: seven years. The hope was that he might commit to such a stint on Merseyside, taking the time to shape a team in his image and ultimately restore the club to something like its former self. This is a process that is now well underway. For some while, however, there was much consternation amongst the fans – Klopp seemed content to work with what he had at the start of his tenure. He was instilling his philosophy, yes, but with a squad that many felt was operating at close to its full potential. Lots of fans turned against the owners while looking for answers to their questions: the absence of ‘Klopp signings’ seemed to make no sense unless it was a question of availability of funds. As Liverpool stumbled to 8^th in the 2015/16 season, the only addition being a January loan of Steven Caulker, some had started to worry that they were facing yet another false dawn.

It takes time for the sun to rise, however. Time has revealed that a ‘Klopp signing’ is not all about finding someone with certain attributes desirable in a high-intensity system; it is about singling out individuals who the manager believes will make the biggest impact on his squad, and doing everything possible to secure the signatures of these players. Such a process takes time, and can result in frustration; the failure to acquire Van Dijk in the summer led to a further six months of a defence not really good enough to compete at the highest levels. However, this modus operandi is part of the package with Klopp. His perspective is longer than one transfer window, or indeed one season – he knew that the Dutchman was the man for the job, and refused to settle. Sure enough, in the few games he has played since finally signing in January, Van Dijk has started to show he was worth the wait. Similarly, Naby Keita could only be acquired for next season during the summer attempts to bring him to the club. Klopp was content with this – why would he not be, when one season is such a small price to pay in exchange for another piece in the puzzle that is Liverpool’s attempt to return to the very top?

In any case, faith in the current squad is central to Klopp’s attitude – it would be false to say that Klopp in any way ‘sacrificed’ this season in his pursuit of longer-term goals. That is not to suggest he refuses to acknowledge that there could be improvements, but his faith in his tactical system is overriding. He knows, of course, that the right breed of great players will thrive in his gegenpress even more, but in the meantime all he can ask of his team is to put in the effort. This is 90% of the formula – be prepared to run, get in the faces of the opposition in their own third, and try to prompt turnovers that produce chances anybody could finish off. This is an ethos as much as it is a tactic: naturally, it takes a while to become ingrained in a team. Liverpool are reaching that stage now, and it is no coincidence that consistency is slowly improving. There was out-and-out panic when Coutinho was sold and not replaced, with many envisaging a January collapse of the sort that saw Liverpool’s dream of a title crushed before it had really formed last season. Instead, results have actually picked up. Miraculous, no? Far from it. This is no act of God, but an act of Klopp; every member of the squad knows what is expected when they are called upon, and though they may not have the inspirational qualities of the Brazilian maestro, they have an unwavering understanding of what must be done to succeed in the German’s setup. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is a fine example. He left Arsenal hungry for guidance: no doubt fearful of following in the footsteps of Theo Walcott, who burst onto the scene but then stagnated under Wenger’s tutelage, he forced a move away. He has absorbed his new manager’s instructions, becoming a blank slate upon which Klopp can make his mark. As a result, he has been a major asset. In some ways he plays second fiddle to the likes of Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino, who steal all of the headlines, but in a more fundamental sense he is one of many equal parts all striving for a common goal.

Where next for this march of progress, and where might it end up? Optimism is rife around Anfield, and rightly so: almost without anybody noticing, Klopp has brought his squad to the brink of greatness. A world-class goalkeeper and a new midfielder would be enough to mount a title challenge in the next campaign; add another top-level centre-back into the mix, and there is potential to become a dominant force. Of course, in embracing Klopp, one must accept that these additions will not be made unless the right people can be brought in – the names floating around are tantalising, particularly Alisson of Roma, but ultimately there has to be faith in the manager’s decisions. That said, the very existence of the rumours suggests that he has identified the remaining problem areas, and feels that the time has come to find the people to address them. These are exciting times to be a Liverpool fan, and for once the groundwork has been laid to ensure that the excitement only continues to grow in the coming years. 

Liverpool 4-3 Manchester City: Post-Match Analysis

Few games sum up what it is like to support Liverpool better than the classic that played out when the runaway league leaders, Manchester City, came to Anfield.  Fans felt joy, frustration, elation and then panic as the game unfolded – ultimately they came away very happy indeed, as Klopp’s men held on for a win that deprives City of their unbeaten record in the league and fires Liverpool into third place. Familiar defensive frailties reared their heads, but it was the attackers’ day. The front three, supported by a strong showing from the midfield, were all exceptional; this was reflected in the sheer class of each of the four goals, which were worthy of winning any football match.

Liverpool went into this game in the knowledge that they had a fighting chance. Manchester City’s unbeaten run would undoubtedly have been daunting, but Klopp’s side are putting together quite a string of results themselves: seventeen undefeated before this game. Further, City are the sort of side Liverpool love to play against – only the very best offensive teams back themselves to come to Anfield with real attacking intent, and this leaves space in behind of the kind which Mane and Salah simply love to exploit. There was something of a question mark over whether this weapon would be quite as effective without Coutinho to pick out the explosive runs, but it is fair to say this question was answered emphatically. Inside ten minutes, Liverpool had the lead: it was another of the pacey players, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who scored it. Firmino’s typical pressing presented the ball to the midfielder in the attacking third, and his driving run caught City on the back foot. Nobody was quick enough to close him down, and his strike from distance rifled past Ederson and into the bottom corner. On any other day it would have been the best goal of the match; today it was probably the least remarkable of Liverpool’s four, but it was vital in that it turned the strong start into something tangible. There was no relenting after the goal, and City continued to find themselves hustled and harried; it was apparent that this was a side used to being given time to play an expansive game and pick their way through, and they did not look comfortable in the face of the press. For this, all of Liverpool’s midfield must take great credit – Oxlade-Chamberlain, Can and Wijnaldum all played their part in forcing turnovers. When in possession, Wijnaldum and Oxlade-Chamberlain in particular were instrumental in preventing such turnovers from going against them – both of them showed excellent awareness and calmness on a number of occasions to ensure possession was not squandered cheaply. 

Despite this promising and assured performance, Liverpool did not manage to go in at the break with their lead intact. They will feel that they deserved to do so, but they can only blame themselves for the manner in which the equaliser was conceded. For a third time in recent weeks, Joe Gomez had difficulty dealing with a raking cross-field ball – Sane was able to nip in behind him, and after cutting inside he somehow managed to beat Karius at his near post. Gomez can perhaps be afforded some leniency, given that he is young and playing out of position; the German stopper is also inexperienced, but it is difficult to see how a good goalkeeper in any stage of his career manages to concede so cheaply. Klopp’s decision to play him is understandable, given that Mignolet is hardly inspiring either and Karius at least has time on his side in terms of development – it has got to a point, though, where the manager has to seriously question whether either of them are good enough for a side with ambitions as lofty as Liverpool’s.  The attack showed that they remain more than functional even in the absence of the mercurial Coutinho: Klopp may have just had his mind made up for him about where the money from that sale should be invested.

Still, it would be an injustice to the game and the performance to dwell on the unsatisfactory goalkeeping situation – what followed was vintage Liverpool, with all the brilliance and madness that this entails. As the second half began, there looked to be a danger of Klopp’s men deflating; for all their endeavour they were still level on the score-line, and for a short time they played the dangerous game of just absorbing City pressure. Before long, however, things clicked back into gear: the manager said after the game that the only way to beat Guardiola’s team is to attack them, and this is what they set about doing. It was Firmino who restored the lead, in staggeringly good fashion. Salah knocked a ball for him to run on to; Stones looked the firm favourite to get there, but the Brazilian shrugged him off with ease. He then glanced up at the onrushing Ederson and calmly clipped the ball over him and in at the far post – the instantaneous transition from brute strength to sumptuous finishing was reminiscent of Suarez in his prime. Firmino is one of many who can stake a claim to Man of the Match. Oxlade-Chamberlain is another one whose name has to be in the mix, while Andy Robertson is doubtless a contender as well. He delighted the Anfield faithful by frustrating Sterling all game, thwarting him at every turn – this culminated in a booking and early substitution for the former Liverpool man, who will not have enjoyed his return.

City were shaken by conceding – just a minute later they were seemingly let off the hook when Mane struck the woodwork. He was not to be denied, however: yet another attack came after another minute or so, and this time he slammed the ball emphatically into the top corner. As against Burnley, it was an explosive finish on his weaker side: the technique required cannot be underestimated. Not to be outshone, Salah completed a remarkable ten-minute spell for the team with an outrageous goal of his own. Ederson made a rare mistake with his clearance, no doubt shaken by the relentless Liverpool siege, and the Egyptian swept the ball into the unguarded net from all of thirty-five yards as if it was the easiest thing in the world. It feels like this is said every week, but it just gets truer and truer: thirty-five million pounds is one of the greatest bargains of recent years.

Manchester City, the team being understandably treated by most as the champions-elect, the team producing some of the best football in the history of the Premier League, thus found themselves 4-1 down. This is testament to Liverpool’s immense array of attacking firepower, as well as Klopp’s skill in harnessing and optimising it. If he can keep this exciting, talented group together then there is no denying that they can go on to produce special things: seldom has such a good opponent been dismantled with such ease. However, if any sustained success is to be enjoyed, the goings-on at the other end of the field have to be rectified sooner rather than later. Even at 4-1, nobody was treating the result as a foregone conclusion – Liverpool fans have seen too many collapses to take anything as a given. Sure enough, City were allowed to muster a late fightback: Bernardo Silva found himself free in the box to turn the ball home in the 84^th minute, and in the first of four minutes of added time Gundogan was left similarly unmarked to make it 4-3. In less stressful circumstances Lovren’s attempt to intercept the cross would have been comical. There was nothing funny about the possibility of letting such a good, hard-fought position slip, however: Klopp’s fury was evident on the touchline. Virgil Van Dijk has only played one game for the club, but already he is a big miss in his absence: aside from the fact that he would undoubtedly have prevented at least one of the two late goals, the calmness that he exuded against Everton would have been highly welcome in this fixture. In the end, though, it didn’t matter: Liverpool clung on for victory, and nobody could say they didn’t deserve it.

It was football at its best: breathless, scintillating, enthralling and full of quality. Both sides were somewhat suspect at the back, but this only served to add to the spectacle. It can only be good for football that City’s unbeaten streak was taken from them in this fashion – the prospect of an ‘invincibles’ season was wrested forcefully away from them, rather than nicked by a parked bus and a lucky goal. At any rate, it was certainly good for Liverpool: the win is all the sweeter for Chelsea and Arsenal’s dropped points, and the top four picture is looking as good as it has all season. In the post-match elation, even the fifteen-point gap doesn’t feel completely unassailable! Realistically, the title charge may have to wait for next season: on today’s evidence, though, Liverpool’s rivals better sit up and take notice of them when it comes to the next campaign. 

- Folow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013