Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona: Anfield’s Greatest Night

The squad celebrate in front of The Kop

A year ago, Fabinho Tavares was in Monaco. The man hailing from Campinas in Brazil only arrived at Liverpool in the summer: now, arm-in-arm with his diaspora of teammates, he sings the club anthem as passionately as any of the supporters on The Kop in celebration of the most unlikely of triumphs against Barcelona. With this team, at this moment, the message conveyed by the song is symbiotic: it is a pledge by those wearing the shirt that they will always give everything for the fans, and a promise in return that such commitment will be met with unwavering loyalty.

It is this which makes nights such as these possible: the wall of noise from the first whistle willed Liverpool onwards, simultaneously conveying the fierce pride in the team that is not contingent on the result and yet also the real belief that if anyone can do this it is Liverpool. This faith was not misplaced – against all odds, against all logic, a 3-goal deficit was overturned against the side captained by the best player ever to grace a football pitch.

After the first leg, Jose Mourinho gave his thoughts on Liverpool’s prospects. He remarked, with a wry smile, that at Anfield on European nights they can even score goals that are not goals – this was a reference to Luis Garcia’s ghost goal in 2005, the year Liverpool last went on to lift the Champions League. Sure enough, in another semi-final fourteen years later, a miracle was to occur again.

It would be a disservice to this team, however, to chalk the win up as little more than a freakish anomaly, a case of the opposition or the officials wilting when faced with the Anfield noise and the historic weight that underwrites the claims that it makes. As Klopp said in his post-match remarks, the success was made possible by a convergence of many factors at once: a crucial element, of course, is the sheer talent of the footballers in his team. It can be said with some confidence that this is the best Liverpool side of a generation.

They have now reached back-to-back European finals, and in the league look on track to finish with the third-highest top-flight points tally of all time. The very fact that they outclassed Barcelona in a 4-0 win should speak for itself – only the very best in the world can even stand a chance at achieving such an outlandish result. Messi, Suarez, Busquets, Alba, Ter Stegen – all of these are masters of their crafts, and the list could go on, and yet they were not merely nullified but decimated.

The quality is on display throughout this Liverpool team, from the back to the front. Alisson has proved to be the world class addition in goal that fans craved, and could well be the difference when they return to the final this season to right the wrongs from Kyiv – he played a pivotal role in ensuring Barcelona did not get a crushing away goal, thus contributing to overturning a 3-goal Catalan lead in the Champions League just as he did with Roma last year. There would not even have been a semi-final to salvage had he not produced a superhuman stop against Napoli way back in the final group stage game: football repeatedly confirms the cliché that it is a game of ludicrously tight margins, and elite players can provide the infinitesimal edge that makes the world of difference.

There is no shortage of such players in defence either – indeed, while the Brazilian had to be alert on a couple of occasions to repel Coutinho and Messi, the wall in front of him ensured he was not even as busy as he was at the weekend against Newcastle. Virgil van Dijk deserves all of the plaudits he is receiving: he was already worth every penny of his eye-watering price tag when he signed, but he has since matured into arguably the best defender in world football. When he hangs up his boots, he will be remembered as one of the greats of the game: he is that good. Messi, usually the master of creating pockets of space out of nothing, had no answer to him: the greatest of all time was anonymous.


The Dutch colossus was far from unsupported – Joel Matip has put in the quiet hard yards during this campaign to climb the pecking order, and has showed that he is by no means out of place against the very best. His skill set compliments Van Dijk’s to form a formidable partnership. They are flanked by unquestionably the two best full-backs in the country. Andy Robertson has been a revelation since signing for a meagre £8 million from Hull, and played his part in keeping Barcelona’s superstars quiet before being forced off at half time.  Klopp’s one real mistake over the two legs was leaving Trent Alexander-Arnold out of the first game, but the boy from the academy still had enough time to pull his team back from the brink in a way he has dreamed of since his days of spying on Gerrard at Melwood.


He set up the second, tirelessly closing down Jordi Alba before picking a pinpoint cross worthy of his idol – when Wijnaldum tapped in, the words of “hello, hello, here we go” seemed to echo down the years. The crucial fourth, the goal that decided the tie, also came courtesy of a piece of magic from the full-back; he showed the ingenuity and presence of mind to whip in a quick corner, catching Barcelona unawares and allowing Divock Origi to finish past Ter Stegen. It is hard to encapsulate with mere words what it means to see a local boy who understands the club so intimately playing a leading role in its revitalisation: he is surely an icon in the making.

The local link is something to be cherished, but what is even more precious is the extent to which the wider squad has bought into the ethos of the club. This is not a group of players just doing their job: one need only look again at Fabinho singing his heart out, or Gini Wijnaldum in tears, or the injured Mo Salah turning up to cheer on the impossible sporting a “Never Give Up” shirt. For this, so much of the credit must go to the one factor to which the manager did not draw attention: Jurgen Klopp himself.

He demands of his players what he demands of the fans; he requires a team of believers rather than doubters, a team who lives the game like he does and who can feed off the emotion of it and turn it into results. Those who do not want to commit fully must leave: Coutinho, pulled off after an hour and watching from the bench as the humiliation of his new side was completed, is the living embodiment of this. What remains is a side who will never say die, a group of players and fans who are truly Liverpool regardless of from where they come.  

By all accounts, they had reasonable grounds to write themselves off. In front of the defence the squad looked to be falling apart at the seams: Naby Keita was ruled out for the season just as he started to hit his best form, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain missed out due to another minor setback following his long lay-off, and crucially the talismanic figures of Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah were both unavailable. To those outside of the bubble that Klopp has forged, there was no hope.

Within ten minutes, however, a stand-in had them ahead; Divock Origi has had remarkable peaks and troughs in his time at the club, but his recent fine form has come at such a pivotal time that he has earned the affections of fans for life. The loss of Robertson at the break could have dented this momentum – instead, his replacement scored twice in two minutes to restore parity in the tie at 3-3. Who knows what would have been had Suarez not been so intent on riling up Robertson, and Wijnaldum had never taken the field: once again, ludicrously tight margins. Origi’s second may have been made by Alexander-Arnold, but it still required an excellent finish; he showcased quick reactions to deftly divert the ball beyond Ter Stegen under the most pressured circumstances imaginable. With that flick, the impossible was accomplished.

Barcelona’s role in all this cannot be reduced to the mere victims of Liverpool’s onslaught, and the inquests as to how this was allowed to happen have already started in the Spanish press, but Jurgen Klopp and his warriors will not even be remotely interested in the verdict. In their minds, they know how this happened: a group of world class players gave everything they had, willed on by the fervent belief of 50,000 fans and millions more not in the stadium, inspired by one of the greatest managers of a generation. Sometimes this is enough for silverware, and sometimes it is not, but it is all that can be asked for – one more push in Madrid may well be enough to deliver the trophy that Klopp’s reign so richly warrants.  

 - @JamesMartin013

Liverpool 4-0 West Ham: Here We Go Again

Strap yourselves in. Liverpool are back, and in some style; West Ham United were put to the sword on the opening day at Anfield. Klopp’s men picked up where they left off during an impressive pre-season, dismantling the Hammers just as they had done to Napoli a week previously. It was an assured performance from front to back, and gave even the most cautious fan reason for optimism.

There is only one place to start, and that is with Naby Keita. The Guinean midfielder was outstanding on his competitive debut for Liverpool, immediately showcasing exactly what he can bring to a midfield that was in need of an injection of dynamism. There will be sterner tests than Pellegrini’s West Ham, whose half-baked high line was only ever going to end one way, but Keita was ruthless in exploiting it. Time and time again he drove at the defence, sprung a pass at exactly the right moment and set a runner free. It was in this manner that the deadlock was broken, just before the twenty-minute mark: Keita released Robertson in space down the left, and the Scot produced an inch-perfect ball across the face of the goal for Salah to turn home. It was a satisfying goal to score – the best teams have got creating unmissable opportunities down to an art form, and Liverpool certainly seem to be improving in this regard.

The chances, already fairly free-flowing, came thicker and faster after the opening goal. Firmino’s selfless square ball could not be turned home by Salah from close range, but it looked a matter of time before Fabianski was beaten again. Sure enough, moments before half time, Milner did excellently to salvage a cross that looked too deep – the defence had switched off, and Sadio Mane was on hand to turn the ball home for Liverpool’s second. This was just one of many excellent contributions from the headband-sporting Milner, who was clearly not experiencing any adverse effects following his fifteen stitches; his renaissance of late has been truly remarkable, and Fabinho may be wondering just how he’s going to break into the team! Gini Wijnaldum, another player who could have shied away in the face of increased midfield competition, put in a typically tidy performance while also posing a little of the added attacking threat he has shown throughout pre-season.

The front three have little to fear in the way of starting status, and they showcased their brilliance once again for the third goal. Firmino embarked upon a typically industrious run before slipping the ball through for Sadio Mane – there was a huge slice of fortune in that the flag should clearly have been raised for offside, but Mane capitalised on the officiating error and slotted the ball away to totally kill off the game. This brace for the Senegalese winger could be a sign of things to come; he has definitely adapted to a more central role in the past few months, a move formalised by his adoption of the number 10 shirt for the new season, and he will be hoping to get on the end of many more moves over the course of the campaign.

Henderson and Shaqiri were soon introduced, a mark of the increased quality of depth that Liverpool now boast. The former Stoke man looked lively on his competitive debut, although with the match already wrapped up the tempo was understandably fairly relaxed. The captain was tidy as ever, keeping things ticking over as Klopp’s side moved towards a near-perfect opening day result. As it happened, things were about to get even better. Daniel Sturridge was introduced for the last five minutes – he has had an astonishingly good pre-season, reminding everyone exactly what he is capable of when he remains fit for a sustained period, and it took just twenty seconds for him to find the net in this cameo. He showed his familiar poacher’s instinct to get on the end of a cross from a corner and turn the ball home, in doing so sending Liverpool to the top of the table.

Now it’s just a small task of staying there for the next thirty-seven weeks. A tough ask, certainly, but one that for the first time in years the squad will feel is not beyond them. Keita looks all set to prove a truly transformative signing in the middle of the park, while Alisson will win points on his own if he even comes close to his form at Roma. Already, his cool distribution is handing Liverpool more control over games. Shaqiri provides much-needed quality cover for the front three, as well as possessing the versatility to drop into midfield when the team really needs to go for it. This amounts to nearly all of last season’s key weaknesses being addressed – and last season wasn’t half bad! In a league of fine margins, these additions could make a big difference. One thing’s for sure: we are in for an exciting season.

See my round-up of all the week's football action over on Colossus Bets:
https://blog.colossusbets.com/shaw-on-the-mend-its-7-points-in-7-days/

We Are Liverpool

There is nobody who handles losing quite as well as Liverpool. This is a taunt thrown our way by rival fans, who would undoubtedly have traded their seasons in a heartbeat to take our place in the Champions League final, but there is also a ring of truth about it. Defeat in Kyiv was cruel, and it was painful, but supporters left the stadium singing. You’ll Never Walk Alone proved as cathartic as ever, while Allez Allez Allez took on a defiant note: mark our words, we’re never going to stop. Soon, a video emerged of Klopp himself chanting at six in the morning, goofy smile firmly in place in spite of everything. Those outside of the Liverpool bubble might have questioned what on earth was going on – the team had, after all, just fallen short of glory by virtue of two of the worst goalkeeping mistakes ever witnessed at this level. Perhaps three words from a different song best sum it up: we are Liverpool.

This club sticks together. At times, it has had to do so – the 96 on the collar of every Liverpool shirt is a poignant reminder that nothing that unfolds on the pitch is of any lasting importance. Even so, it would have been easy for supporters to turn on Karius following the final, but that is not The Liverpool Way. In a strange fashion, it was his personal woes that helped bring everybody together so quickly; even on social media, which usually has a knack of amplifying the very worst in people, the overwhelming message was one of support for the young German. It is unlikely that there is anything that can be said to the 24-year-old that will stop him looking back on this match with horror in quiet moments for the rest of his life, but supporters looked to take some of the burden from him with a simple message. You’ll Never Walk Alone. People can say that we don’t sing it as loudly as we once did, or that everyone is now too bothered about filming it to belt it out, and perhaps there is some truth to this – when it really matters, though, it is more than a song. It is an ethos, one which enables fans to place their views on the long-term goalkeeping situation aside for a moment and just console a young man who needs support.

For his part, Karius also showed an understanding of how things are done at this club. It is telling that the first thing he did after the final whistle was go to the fans – disconsolate though he was, he knew that these were the people from whom forgiveness must be sought. It took courage to do this, and one need not look very far to think of players who would have just disappeared down the tunnel. Things like this mean something. Supporters should be at the heart of any club, and when the players recognise this an unbreakable bond forms; this is the same kind of bond that can carry a team through to a European final by sheer strength of support, sheer volume of songs. It produces an intensity capable of emanating from the stands and into the heavy metal football unfolding on the pitch. It is hard to say whether Karius himself will have a long-term future at Anfield, but if he leaves he can do so with his head high and with the respect of the only people that matter.

Mere days after the defeat, Liverpool announced a new addition to the team. Fabinho, snatched from under the noses of Manchester United, went some way to lifting spirits. In the midst of the excitement, it was easy to miss one comment from Klopp: “We have signed a fantastic player, but someone who is an equally fantastic person”. For this to be a preliminary comment about a signing is, in the world of modern football, quite remarkable – certainly it is anathema to the mindset of a coach like Mourinho, who can practically be heard scoffing at such a comment. Klopp, however, is not of the same mould. He is a team-builder; he recognises the importance of getting a group together, keeping them tightly-knit, and going on to achieve things as a unit. More than that, he intrinsically understands Liverpool: the parliamentary seat of Liverpool Walton has not been occupied by a Conservative for over fifty years, and the city and the club immediately embrace those who show a social conscience. Andrew Robertson has won everyone over with his immense performances, but also with his promotion of the local foodbanks. Salah is adored for his forty-four goals, but also for the joy he has brought to schoolchildren in the area. “This means more” is the tagline emerging from the club marketing department of late – it would be naïve to deny that this is at its heart part of a campaign driven towards selling replica shirts, but the sentiment does ring true. Of course, first and foremost Klopp and the fans want to put together a team of winners, but not at any cost – it does not profit a man to gain the whole world, but forfeit his soul.

This is the great consolation. The soul of the club is more than just intact, it is thriving under the management of a man who truly understands it. The core of the team also looks set to hold together – this group have made memories together on a journey all the way to the final, and they will be determined to return to complete the job. Already, additions are being made to address the weaknesses that meant we ultimately fell short: there are big reasons to be hugely optimistic into next season and beyond. This does not remove the pain of losing the final, and nor should it: although Liverpool’s ethos goes far beyond winning, it should not be forgotten that this club has victory in its very DNA. However, the regeneration of this footballing giant is well underway, and it’s never going to stop.

-   James Martin (@JamesMartin013)

Roma 4-2 Liverpool: Kyiv Awaits

Rarely has a defeat been greeted with such joy. Liverpool fans rose as one at the final whistle, their chants becoming a battle cry: bring on Real Madrid. For this is what lies ahead for this remarkable side that Klopp has assembled – a Champions League final against the team looking to win it for the third time in a row. The whispers, if not yet shouts, are becoming more insistent: “we could do this, you know”. Such things dreams are made of, and yet the Liverpool players are one win away from making it an unbelievable reality, forever enshrining themselves in legend in the process.

Memories of the Manchester City tie would undoubtedly have been fresh in their minds as they stepped out onto the pitch with a three-goal aggregate lead from the first leg. Their defence of such a margin began disastrously at the Etihad, but lessons had been learned: Liverpool did not start like a team with a lead to hold onto, instead going about their business in the usual attacking way. Reward was reaped almost immediately – Sadio Mane, who was exceptional throughout the evening, was on hand to fire past Alisson after a defensive error provided the opportunity to score. Some of the tension, inevitable in any Champions League semi-final regardless of the context of the tie, was released; Roma now needed four. Nobody who has supported Liverpool for any length of time thought that this was impossible, and anyone who was labouring under this illusion was quickly disabused of it. The hosts had one back just minutes later in freakish circumstances: a hacked clearance hit James Milner in the face and positively rocketed beyond Karius. It was hugely unfortunate, both for the team and the individual; Milner, of course, was responsible for the penalty at the end of the first leg too, but there was very little he could do about either incident. Roma sniffed a chance, and the crowd at the Olimpico whipped up a feverish atmosphere.

Liverpool, however, were unperturbed. Virgil Van Dijk was imperious in the face of the howls of the crowd, bringing an element of calmness that in the circumstances felt almost out of place. It was his countryman, though, who sparked wild celebrations from the away end – the Champions League continued its uncanny habit of producing irresistible narratives, as Gini Wijnaldum scored his first away goal since arriving in English football on the biggest possible stage. It was not particularly pretty – Van Dijk went up for a header from a corner and missed it, but the defensive clearance looped up towards Wijnaldum who was lurking on the edge of the six-yard box. The ball arched off his head and into the net: the roars of elation rose in a crescendo, as fans realised that it was not offside and that Wijnaldum, of all people, had just scored the vital second away goal. This left Roma needing four once again, and even this would only have been enough to force extra-time. The goal made Liverpool’s the most prolific Champions League campaign ever, surpassing that of Barcelona in 1999/2000; the sheer firepower looked to have proved too much for Roma.

In fairness to the Italians, they certainly did not give up. History, even recent history, can have intangible effects on teams – Roma played like a side who knew they could overturn impossible odds in the face of world class opposition. The first stages of the second half felt in many ways like the barrage to which Liverpool were subjected by Manchester City: wave after wave of attack crashed down upon the defence, which again caved early on. Alexander-Arnold missed his interception, which left the path to Karius free – the German parried the resulting shot into an awful area, and Dzeko made no mistake on the rebound. After this, the back line clung on for dear life as more attacks rained down, just barely managing to repel what was thrown its way. It would be petty not to note the part which the referee played in keeping Roma at bay. Dzeko was wrongly called offside just before getting hauled down in the box by Karius for what would have been a certain penalty, and then Trent Alexander-Arnold got away with a goal-line block which was shown by replays to be a handball. That said, the defence dug deep and deserved their slices of luck, particularly given that Mane had been denied a spot kick for a clear shove in the opening stages of the game.

The clock kept ticking over, and Roma seemed to have expended everything they had. Liverpool looked the more likely to get the next goal with fifteen minutes to play – the physical and psychological effects of constantly attacking without reward appeared to be taking their toll on the hosts. However, there was still time to make things nervy. In the 86^th minute, Radja Nainggolan restored a semblance of hope with a sweetly-struck strike from outside the box. He did not look as though he genuinely believed that there was time for the comeback, but he conjured up a second wind for the players and fans around him. The noise, which had become somewhat muted, returned in abundance, and Roma responded. Klopp’s men stood firm once more, but as in the first leg fell victim to a highly questionable penalty decision. Ragnar Klavan, brought on to shore up the defence, had the ball pelted in his direction from close range – the official, taking it upon himself to stir up some late drama, pointed to the spot. Nainggolan was on hand once again to blast the ball into the net, and suddenly one more goal would produce extra time. In the end, though, it was not enough: the final whistle came just moments after the restart, and was greeted with unbridled joy by Liverpool fans across the world. That blast on the whistle signified the realisation of a dream: Liverpool are in the final.

There is now an excruciating wait until the 26^th May, a date undoubtedly etched into the minds of all supporters. Still, the last time that Liverpool fans had a Champions League final to look forward to it was 2007 – they have waited patiently through the era of Hodgson, of Paul Konchesky and Andriy Voronin, and in that context three weeks is nothing. The context also provides some reassurance: regardless of what happens when Liverpool come face to face with the reigning European champions, it is clear that the club has truly embarked upon a new era. It is an era in which trophies will undoubtedly come, even if the upcoming final proves a stretch too far; Klopp is moulding a team that can compete at the highest level for years to come. All that said, the team will certainly believe that they might just be able to get their hands on the Champions League later this month: Kyiv awaits.  

- James Martin (@JamesMartin013)

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

Resilient Reds March on in Europe

The ever-more familiar chorus reverberated from the away end at The Etihad after the final whistle: Allez, Allez, Allez. It was a victory cry – Liverpool had pulled off a remarkable feat, not only winning the tie against Manchester City but triumphing in both legs. The song sings of historic successes, from Paris down to Turkey; progression to the semi-final of this year’s competition allows fans to begin to believe in earnest that Kyiv can be added to that list.

It was the kind of game that lays bare the raw emotion of football. The first half was a true ordeal – the early goal was essentially a playing-out of the worst nightmares of the fans, and the persistent barrage that followed induced horrific amounts of stress. It was almost unwatchable, and yet no pair of Liverpool eyes could be torn away from the action. It was a minor miracle that half-time was reached with the score only 1-0. The defence must take some credit – admittedly they should never have dropped so deep, but City effectively forced them to do so, and having retreated they defended like heroes. Lovren, much-maligned in his career at the club, was prepared to throw his body on the line time and time again. His desperate leap, just flicking the ball with the slightest of touches, may well have been responsible for diverting Bernardo Silva’s shot onto the woodwork. Van Dijk rallied magnificently after being at fault for the opener, marshalling the back line and clearing multiple aerial balls to safety. Robertson rode his luck against Sterling, and was fortunate not to concede a penalty, but ultimately managed to keep him fairly contained. Alexander-Arnold seemed to be walking a tightrope after a concerningly early yellow card up against Sane, but proceeded to put in yet another unbelievably mature display to keep the German largely under wraps. It is only fair to say that Sane should have added City’s second – the ball fell to him after a Karius punch ricocheted off Milner, and the linesman’s flag should not have gone up. However, nobody wins a major trophy without getting a slice of fortune along the way. This was Liverpool’s, but they knew they would have to regroup for the second half if they were to make the most of this gift.

Another half in the same vein as the first would simply not have been sustainable. This is no criticism of Liverpool’s back line, but when a collection of the world’s best attacking talent crash upon a defence in wave after wave it cannot be expected to hold out indefinitely. The players knew this, and Klopp undoubtedly reinforced the point at half time. It had an effect: the visitors emerged with more purpose, bravely stepping up where in the first half they would not have done so. This did leave slightly more space for City, which was occasionally alarming, but the net effect was definitely positive. Key to this was the relentless Roberto Firmino. He had been one of the stand-outs in the first half, seemingly the only player capable of showing the technique and composure to beat the City press before releasing a runner to temporarily relieve pressure; in the second period he was aided by his teammates showing more eagerness to step up with him, and the team reaped the rewards. The Brazilian produced a trademark charge back to within his own half to retrieve the ball from an advancing Kevin De Bruyne – it was the ensuing move that sent Liverpool fans everywhere into raptures.

The ball made its way to Gini Wijnaldum, who had begun to see a little more of it in the second half. He coolly drifted away from his man, and found Oxlade-Chamberlain. He drove forwards, before producing a lovely outside-of-the-boot pass to pick out Mohamed Salah. Salah fed Mane, who ran into a rapidly-closing gap between Laporte and Fernandinho. Between the pair of them, and the subsequent lunge from Ederson, there was surely a foul on the winger: roars of outrage undoubtedly emanated from the households of all Liverpool fans. These turned to guttural screams of delight, or perhaps more accurately of relief, as Salah picked up the loose ball and produced a sublime chip to score. There are no words to do justice to the release of tension felt in that moment – suddenly City needed four more goals, and although it was not over it was clear that more of the same from Liverpool would be enough to see them into the semi-final.

In the end, they added to their aggregate lead. City were rattled, once again showing the intangible benefits of a club with a history of producing the impossible at the vital moments – they had no European experiences from which to draw hope, while Liverpool played like men who knew that they were merely following those who had gone before them by brushing aside all those standing between them and European glory. It was Otamendi who made the crucial error: Liverpool’s press reduced him to his former error-prone self over the two legs, and on this occasion it was Firmino who robbed him. He then calmly ghosted into a scoring position, before curling it beyond Ederson and in for the goal he so richly deserved. At this point, the celebrations could truly begin.

Focus now inevitably turns to the semi-finals. The draw is made on Friday, and in a shock turnaround will feature Roma. They produced an astounding comeback of the kind City could not muster – this shows that they will not make life easy for any potential opponents, but they surely have to be the preferred team to come up against. That said, Liverpool will not be overawed by any opponent: they did a job on one of Europe’s best, triumphing 5-1 on aggregate. Roared on by fans in delirium at the prospect of more European glory, absolutely anything is possible for this great group of players. Allez, Allez, Allez.

-          Follow me on Twitter @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. 

Diamonds are Forever: Why Liverpool Need to Revert to an Old Tactic

One of the hallmarks of Liverpool’s barnstorming 2013/14 season was the narrow 4-4-2 diamond adopted by Brendan Rodgers. Since Klopp has taken charge, this has given way to at least a notional 4-3-3; in recent weeks Mohamed Salah has become something of a de facto striker, but the line-up is nonetheless still two players who are traditionally wingers operating alongside a forward. Klopp’s tenure has by no means been unsuccessful – the fact that the team are in the Champions League knockout rounds for the first time since 2009 is testament to this – but goals have sometimes been a little harder to come by than they were in the peak season under Rodgers. This is of course partly attributable to the then-available talents of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge, but the formation plays its part too. Liverpool’s current front line is at the very least comparable with the duo of Suarez and Sturridge, which is in itself a high compliment indeed, but they can nonetheless sometimes struggle against the low block. It could be worth experimenting with the narrow diamond once more against teams that like to try and frustrate Liverpool in this way. 

What are the advantages of such a formation? Essentially, it forces the team using it to play narrow – none of the attacking options are wide players, so forward play is channelled through the middle of the pitch. This means that the only way into the box is through intricate passing combinations. All too often, Liverpool have been lured out wide by the available space and then launched in aimless crosses: this does not play to the strengths of their forwards, who are not target men, and generally does not produce results. It would be preferable if they remained patient, moving the ball around in the centre until gaps are prised open. It is then a case of picking that gap and finding a runner, who is duly free of the low block. It requires a fairly high level of technical expertise, and an even higher level of discipline, but once it is drilled into the players it produces results far more reliably than slinging in crosses. It would be doing the current crop of central players a disservice to presume they are not capable of excelling in such a system. It may well get the best out of the technically-gifted Gini Wijnaldum. Henderson, too, is a good passer of the ball – one of the biggest complaints against him is that he likes to shift it sideways, so removing this option may actually help him. Can’s strengths lie in positive driving runs, which can also serve to open up a bit of space to pick the right pass: in short, the central options seem well-suited to the narrow diamond.

In terms of Liverpool’s current attacking personnel, however, the suggestion of this formation seems strange. The only regular first-team player who is generally classified as a striker is Roberto Firmino. The formation requires two forwards, and leaves no room for wide attackers – thus one of Mane or Salah has to play up front, with the other possibly missing out altogether. As mentioned, however, Salah is effectively playing as a striker anyway. There is no doubt that the Egyptian would continue to thrive in the proposed setup, as it would not substantially alter his role. The issue with leaving out Mane is less easily resolved. There are effectively two solutions: accept that he has to be sacrificed in order to reap the benefits of the narrow diamond against lesser teams, or else play him up front with Salah and drop Firmino into the number 10 role. Neither are necessarily ideal. Mane hasn’t had the best of seasons by his standards, but still brings enough to the team to warrant reluctance to drop him. Firmino, by contrast, has been a revelation up front, to the point where shifting him deeper seems counter-productive. However, part of his brilliance has been his ability to create for others – there is no reason to think that he could not continue to excel when playing behind two strikers, even though his output might take something of a hit. It may be worth at least trying it, so as to try and find the key to consistently unlocking low blocks.

This solution is particularly appealing when Liverpool’s full-backs are considered. Moreno and Robertson are the options at left-back, with Gomez and Alexander-Arnold the available options on the other side: of these, three would properly be classified as attacking full-backs. Only Gomez, who is a natural centre-back, is more conservative. Games where this formation would be most useful are against teams that set up with little attacking intent; there is therefore no issue in picking two of the offensive-minded full-backs. Width is duly provided, even though the formation does not involve any wide attackers. The whole point of the tactical setup is that the team are not constantly looking to the wing, but these full-backs at least provide an out-ball as a worst-case scenario in order to prevent turnovers of possession. Some form of in-game tactical flexibility is also maintained. If it comes to it, Liverpool’s full-backs all have a decent delivery on them, and are capable of picking out someone like Solanke if Klopp truly feels that the block cannot be broken down in any other way. Again, this must be considered a last resort, as the entire point of utilising the diamond is to find more reliable and repeatable ways through a deep line. Nonetheless, the fact that this tactical alternative remains removes a fairly significant criticism that might be levelled at the formation.

Thus, it seems like it might at least be worth experimenting with a return to the diamond that characterised Rodgers’ tenure when it comes to games against opponents determined to sit deep. It is not so radical a change from the current setup that it will unduly affect the team’s prospects in the short-term, but it helps to ensure that the players do not constantly funnel the ball out wide when faced with pressure in the middle. It could serve to bring the best out of the current crop of central midfielders, and the multi-talented forwards should be able to adapt to it. All of this is supported by the attacking full-backs, who ensure that at least some wide threat is maintained.   

- Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013

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

Liverpool 5-0 Swansea: A Late Christmas Present

Forget seven: none of the Swans were a swimming after Liverpool sunk Leon Britton’s men with a comprehensive 5-0 win. The players were seemingly nursing Christmas hangovers in the first half, where creativity was lacking and the chances that did get carved out were largely squandered, but the second half was Liverpool in full flow. Four further goals were added to Coutinho’s first half strike to make sure the fans did not regret braving the cold; the result reinstated Klopp’s men to the top four after Spurs had temporarily displaced them.

The scoresheet shows that Liverpool were able to break the deadlock after just five minutes, but this belies the slow start. The opening exchanges were sloppy, with neither side mounting any threat whatsoever – the goal was produced out of nothing. Coutinho, the headline-writer’s dream, came up with a Christmas cracker from distance to fire the Reds into the lead following good pressing work from Firmino. This sort of goal has become normal from Coutinho at this point; once he had cut inside on to his right foot, nobody really expected him to miss. This consistency, once the only complaint that could be raised against the little Brazilian, means he can now be placed firmly in the world class bracket. Even by his standards, however, it was a nice strike – the goalkeeper was beaten not only by the placement but the power, as the ball was whipped ferociously into the top corner. The moment of magic proved to be something of an isolated incident in the first half. There were some nice link-ups between Salah and Coutinho, and Firmino missed a glorious opportunity right at the end of the opening forty-five minutes, but in general there was a definite failure to build upon the early lead. This bred nervousness: understandable, given that the Anfield crowd have witnessed more dropped points from winning positions than any other fans since Jurgen Klopp took charge.

The doubts were emphatically allayed in the second half. Credit must go to the manager and the team for successfully regrouping at half time and coming out with renewed determination – it was a crucial point in the match where more complacency could have been costly, but instead Liverpool finally kicked into gear. Seven minutes into the second half, the lead was doubled: Firmino made no mistake with this finish, volleying in from close range after a lovely free kick from compatriot Coutinho. Klopp must be relieved that his number nine is largely slipping under the wider footballing radar; the increased goal and assist output combined with his consistently excellent pressing and link-up play makes him a truly elite player, who Klopp will certainly want to hold on to for as long as possible. The next goal came from a less regular source. Young full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold scored his first Premier League goal, bursting into the box in order to slam a loose ball into the roof of the net. It felt like a seminal moment as he wheeled away towards the Kop with his arms outstretched – it can only be hoped that the clip will be replayed for years to come, and cited as the moment when Alexander-Arnold truly made the grade at his boyhood club. He and Joe Gomez have been two of the biggest positives of this campaign; for once, it feels as though there is a clear and genuine long-term route to the first team for two of the club’s young players. At the very least, Nathaniel Clyne must be concerned about whether he will be able to wrest his spot back when he returns from his somewhat mysterious long-term absence – it may well be that he simply provides the depth at full-back to allow Gomez to properly transition back to his natural central position, with Alexander-Arnold making the right-back spot his own.

Firmino was at it again for the fourth goal – on a day where the media were quick to eulogise about Kane for getting into the right positions, the Brazilian got in on the act by also successfully turning the ball into an empty net from six yards. Some might question whether this is genuinely the mark of an elite forward, but the old maxim that you have to be there to score them is undoubtedly true. The main credit must go to Salah, however: he was the one who had the awareness to know Firmino was waiting in the middle, and he selflessly produced the square ball to pick him out. This was Klopp’s cue to rest some of his stars: Solanke replaced the goalscorer, and Salah made way for Lallana. This meant a shift forward for Oxlade-Chamberlain, who topped off the evening by inventively chipping the ball in at the back post after a scrappy passage of play in the box. It was yet another good performance from the summer acquisition, who is industriously going about the business of silencing his doubters. He also further showcased his off-field strength of character in the post-match interview: he admitted that he was not particularly happy with his performance, a sentiment seldom expressed in any circumstances – let alone after scoring in a 5-0 win. This desire to grow and improve, nurtured by a manager famed for getting the best out of his players, is highly encouraging.

Games come thick and fast in the festive period, and Liverpool’s attentions immediately turn to Leicester’s visit on Saturday. Klopp will almost certainly rotate once more, but the squad is stronger now in terms of depth that it has been for a long time; the manager may be well-advised not to effectively play his second-string team like he did in the derby, but fans can nonetheless be confident of a win even when multiple changes are made. Regardless of personnel, a performance like the second half showing against Swansea will surely guarantee another three points.     

Liverpool 1-1 Everton: Post-Match Analysis

Despite playing some of their worst football of the season, Liverpool nonetheless dominated an Everton side who had come to Anfield with no attacking intent whatsoever. The visitors are entitled to do this, of course, but it also wasn’t a particularly accomplished defensive display; Liverpool let them off the hook by lobbing cross after cross into the box instead of attempting to pick apart the holes in the back line, and were ultimately punished for only managing to score once. Calvert-Lewin dived for a late penalty after Lovren had got too tight to him, meaning Everton came away with a point from one of the poorest-quality derbies in living memory.

Jurgen Klopp raised some eyebrows by continuing his policy of mass rotation. The variation of personnel is not in itself a problem – it helps to prevent injuries building up over a busy period, and Klopp has some good squad players at his disposal. However, the changes for this game made it near-inevitable that the style of play would also alter. So it was: Milner and Henderson continually shifted the ball out wide, where Robertson and Gomez were on hand to swing hopeful crosses in towards Dominic Solanke. This is not a criticism of any of them – indeed, Joe Gomez put in yet another exceptional performance – but it must be asked what Klopp expected to happen when fielding all of these players together. He did Everton’s job for them: the quality was dragged right down, and Allardyce’s tactic of shoving everyone behind the ball and just launching it clear when they won it back was made at least partially effective when it should have been ripped to shreds.

This was exemplified by the manner in which Liverpool did make a breakthrough – it was a moment of pure quality, not a high ball into the penalty area. Mo Salah provided it: he swivelled past his man, jinked inside another and whipped the ball sumptuously into the top corner. It was a piece of individual genius, further cementing Salah’s status as signing of the summer and instant fan favourite. However, he was often the only one trying these things. Milner and Henderson are hardly notorious for driving at defenders; Solanke is pretty good with his feet, but his stock in trade is holding the ball up then passing it back to someone else. Again, the fault lies on the team selection – the sheer exploitability of Everton’s back line, as exemplified by Salah’s humiliation of Cuco Martina, was left largely untapped because of the type of players sent out by Klopp. To make such a call in the derby is criminal if you fail to deliver the result.

Of course, not all the fault lies with the manager. Sadio Mane must also take a significant proportion of the blame. Just after Salah had netted the opener, the Senegalese winger found himself through on the keeper with men over to his right – instead of teeing up the tap-in he went for goal himself, skewing it wide and wasting a golden opportunity. Had the team gone in at two up, it would surely have been game over, particularly given Everton’s ineptitude going forward. As it was, the margin remained at one goal – Allardyce’s side still weren’t really threatening for most of the second half, but nor did Liverpool look like adding a second. It was more of the same in terms of style, and to be frank it didn’t feel like watching Liverpool: the monotony of ‘shift wide, cross, repeat’ was extremely frustrating, and there was always a nagging doubt that the failure to actually get at the defence and add a second would end up costing us if something went wrong at the back. So it was: Dejan Lovren got far too tight to Calvert-Lewin, who chucked himself to the ground upon feeling contact and won himself a penalty. It was a clever dive, but a dive nonetheless – the referee can thus join Klopp, Mane and Lovren on the list of reasons why the team somehow failed to take all three points. To add insult to injury, it was Wayne Rooney of all people who smashed the penalty home: it left fans asking how their team could have possibly let this happen.

On another day, the referee wouldn’t have pointed to the spot and the questions about team selection would be subject to much less scrutiny. However, the result doesn’t change the fact that the team that was put out produced some pretty unpleasant and ineffective football for much of the 90 minutes – the domination stemmed from Everton’s determination to contribute nothing going forward, not from any inherent quality in the hosts’ play. It is not something that many fans can be eager to see repeated: Liverpool play some of the best attacking football in Europe, so to decide to shelve that for a week and instead punt balls at a target man is inexplicable. In a derby match, it is nigh-on unforgivable. Again, it is not the rotation that is the issue – it is the change in style to which it led. Fortunately, the next game is just around the corner; it would surely have made more sense to rest the players in this West Brom clash rather than the derby, but it does at least give Klopp and the team a chance to immediately bounce back.

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Liverpool 7-0 Spartak Moscow: Reds Rampage Through to Knockouts

Liverpool went into their final group stage game knowing that a win would see them progress as group winners, regardless of results elsewhere. This feat has eluded the team since 2008, a staggering nine years ago – it was imperative, therefore, that Klopp’s men got the job done. They delivered in the most emphatic way imaginable: Spartak became the second team to be hit for seven during the campaign, and Liverpool broke the record for the most goals scored by an English team in a Champions League group stage on their way to booking a place in the last sixteen.

After a few weeks of rotation here and there in the front line, Klopp finally treated the fans to the full compliment of attacking talent. The quadruple threat of Salah, Mane, Firmimo and Coutinho would be enough to blow away better teams than Spartak; the Russians were helpless in the face of the onslaught. Philippe Coutinho opened the scoring after just four minutes. Mo Salah’s movement immediately caused panic at the back, and he was hauled down while trying to reach Coutinho’s pass. The Brazilian stepped up to take the spot kick, and converted it with supreme coolness – replays revealed that he didn’t look at the ball once during his run-up, keeping his eyes on the goal and sending the goalkeeper the wrong way. 

There was no looking back in the game either. Liverpool were playing very nicely, undoubtedly aided by the huge pockets of space left open by the Spartak defence – at times it was like an exhibition game, as the attackers put on a show for the Anfield faithful. The second goal came after fifteen minutes; a delightful passage of passing brought the ball to the feet of Firmino, who calmly and selflessly shifted the ball across goal for Coutinho to slot home his second of the night. A third was added just minutes later. Firmino took this one for himself, slamming the ball emphatically home with the outside of his right boot after Mane’s effort fell to him in the box.

Mane had chances of his own in the first half, but it was not until the start of the second period that he managed to get his name on the scoresheet. He did so in supreme style, scoring arguably the pick of the bunch. Milner, who had come on for an injured Alberto Moreno, delivered a lovely cross to the far post which was met sumptuously by Mane – he volleyed it venomously past the Spartak keeper, who was once again a helpless observer. Three minutes later, it was five. Philippe Coutinho jinked round multiple defenders with ease before curling one goalwards; it found its way in via a big deflection, making Coutinho only the third ever Liverpool player to net a Champions League hattrick. It was a truly remarkable performance, particularly on the back of his goal and three assists at the weekend: it is not difficult to see why FSG were so desperate to keep him at Anfield over the summer. Fresh rumours are inevitably beginning to heat up as January approaches – at the moment, however, it is difficult to see why Coutinho would be particularly eager to leave the hottest attack in Europe.

This is particularly true given his strong relationship with the other forwards: Mane, Salah and compatriot Firmino. There appears to be a genuine camaraderie there; each wants the others to succeed, and all of them share the common goal of bringing success for the team. None of them seem too fussed about who gets on the scoresheet, just as long as the goals come; the resulting linkup is astounding at times, and has led to some truly beautiful attacking football. The talent does not stop at these four players, either. Firmino was replaced by Sturridge with about twenty minutes to play, and the Englishman made his mark almost instantly. He worked some space for himself on the right-hand side of the pitch, before squaring the ball for Mane – the Senegalese international showed great inventiveness to turn the ball home from an awkward position, and Liverpool had six.

The referee seemingly felt sorry for Spartak Moscow at this point, and so denied Sturridge a second assist in as many minutes by refusing to award a fairly clear penalty after the striker nicked in ahead of the keeper. This was not enough to stop the rampant reds. Salah ended his one-game drought five minutes from time – Milner delivered another nice delivery from the left, and the Egyptian showed great composure in the box to buy some time before firing it in. In another act of kindness, the officials added no time on at the end; it was only this that stopped Liverpool equalling or bettering their own record of eight Champions League goals in a single game.

The performance will undoubtedly give Liverpool great confidence going into the draw on Monday – their first-place finish leaves them best-placed to avoid a tough draw, but they will feel as though they can beat anyone in their current attacking form. With the likes of Real Madrid, Juventus and Bayern Munich all possible opponents, this may well be put to the test; the constant question mark is of course the defence, but going forward, at least, there is no reason not to believe that Liverpool can’t go toe-to-toe with Europe’s elite. Before they do this, however, there is a derby to look forward to: Sam Allardyce cannot be relishing the prospect of that fixture right now. Teams are rightly scared of us again: regardless of what pundits might have been saying earlier in the season, Liverpool are undoubtedly a team moving in the right direction.

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