Liverpool vs Tranmere: Return of the Reds

Little time seems to have passed since the disappointing end to the last campaign, but today Liverpool returned to action in a pre-season friendly against Tranmere Rovers. This could hardly be called a significant fixture, but it provided a good opportunity to see some of the new signings and academy prospects in action; the result was always secondary in this match, but Liverpool will be pleased to have come away with a 1-0 victory.

Jurgen Klopp elected to play two entirely different teams in each half. The first half gave us our first glimpse of new signings Loris Karius, Joel Matip and Sadio Mane: Karius had absolutely nothing of note to do, but Matip and Mane were both involved. The Cameroon centre back made a couple of errors towards the start of the match, but that can hopefully be attributed purely to nerves. He settled a little as the half progressed, and showed off some impressive distribution – both he and Lovren played some excellent balls out from the back, allowing for good transition from one end of the pitch to the other. One such pass from Lovren found Mane, who had made a bursting run into the box endemic of his lively performance; the Senegalese international beat the onrushing keeper to the ball then unleashed an audacious scoop shot from an extremely tight angle, only narrowly missing out on an exquisite first goal. In fact, the newest addition from Southampton was probably the half’s best performer – in addition to his intelligent off-the-ball movement, he also impressed with his direct runs and clever turns. One such turn, where he allowed the ball to run between his legs before swivelling and sprinting away from his man, resulted in a chance that forced a fine save from the Tranmere goalkeeper. His link-up play with Firmino was also encouraging: Firmino was playing as a striker in this game, something he will likely not be doing regularly over the course of the season, but their understanding was nevertheless a positive sign.

A couple of the youth players also seized the chance to impress in the first half. Ejaria, playing as an attacking midfielder, was one of the lesser-known youngsters on the team sheet – he put in an excellent performance, showing a wide range of qualities. His passing was generally excellent, he put pressure on the Tranmere defence with some powerful, direct runs and he even tracked back admirably: many Liverpool fans will now be keeping a close watch on his development. In contrast, Brannagan is one of the most high-profile young talents at the club – Barcelona have reportedly shown interest in signing him to their youth setup, and it was clear in this game why he has attracted such attention. His levels of composure on the ball are remarkable for such a young player. He pulled the strings from a slightly deeper midfield role, and barely put a pass wrong all game – he also showed quick feet to beat a man on a couple of occasions. The only real negatives from the half were the lack of goals (although this cannot really be read into at all in a pre-season match) and a close call from a set piece, where a Tranmere man was able to find space and directed his header on to the post. Hopefully this persistent set-piece vulnerability gets addressed before the season gets properly underway.

The second half saw changes all round: two of the most notable introductions were Danny Ings, only recently back from a serious injury that kept him out for much of last season, and Lazar Markovic, who spent the last year out on loan at Fenerbache. Both players are still very young, and whilst some fans have written them off others are intrigued to see what part they could play in Klopp’s plans for the upcoming season. Markovic didn’t do his cause much good with his performance – seemingly functioning fairly central rather than in his natural right wing position, he struggled to influence the game. More worryingly, he missed two very good chances: the first was ballooned over the bar from about 12 yards out, and the second struck the post with the goal gaping. The latter miss was frankly criminal, and in any competitive game would be nigh-on unforgivable. However, the Serbian did begin to impress in the latter stages: he began to drift over to the right on occasion, and from here he was effective. One particular delivery for Danny Ings was inch-perfect: the striker nearly gave it the finish it deserved, firing just wide with an acrobatic bicycle kick. Ings did eventually get his goal a few minutes later – Trent Alexander Arnold went on a lovely run before finding Ings, who controlled the ball excellently before lashing it into the net. Although he will have a tough time getting minutes ahead of Sturridge and Origi, it is certainly nice to have Ings back fit as an option: his pace, finishing and work rate make him a very useful player in any side, but particularly under Klopp.

The Ings goal secured the win, but more important was the fairly high level of performance in both halves. Liverpool always looked in control, and impressed with their quick, accurate passing under pressure. They were expected to dominate, of course, but that does not detract from the fact that they were able to completely dictate the game – new signings and youngsters alike put in performances that gave the fans reason to be optimistic for the future. It is foolish to read too much into pre-season games, but it is certainly fair to say that there were promising signs. If nothing else, it was great to see Liverpool back in action again: here’s to many more wins in the coming season.
-James Martin
Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013

A Night For The Ages: Europa League Final Preview

Tonight, the team will step out on to the pitch in Basel with a great responsibility on their shoulders. It is a game that will not only define the season, but potentially the trajectory of their club – our club - for years to come. Its importance cannot be overstated; tonight can end an eleven year wait for a European trophy and return us to the Champions League where we belong. Let no man buckle under this pressure – every player must revel in the knowledge that they can be part of a restoration. Greatness beckons once more, and tonight we must seize it. 

The job of masterminding the return to the top falls to Jürgen Klopp. Despite uninspiring league form, it is clear that Klopp has begun to awaken the giant: Liverpool is yet to roar as once it did, but it is grumbling back to life. There have been flashes of brilliance, such as the 4-1 away win at City and the professional dismantling of Villarreal at Anfield, but the biggest change has been in attitude. The charismatic German has instilled great belief in the squad since his arrival, a quality that will need to be on display in abundance to triumph over Sevilla. The Spanish outfit have a psychological advantage in that they have won the competition in both of the previous two seasons – Liverpool will find themselves up against resolute opposition who truly believe they can win, and will need to be able to overcome this. The spirit shown in the astounding triumph over Borussia Dortmund will surely be referenced by Klopp as he urges our players to make themselves heroes.

This is not to say that it will be a case of Klopp’s heart versus Unai Emery’s head – the narrative that his passion triumphs over tactics is a tired one. Rather the German offers a brilliant blend of both; he sets the team up astutely, then gives them the confidence to go out and execute his game plan to perfection. The focus for tonight’s game will surely be creating and taking chances: Klopp has yet to make his mark on the squad with transfers, and for the moment the team’s strengths lie firmly in attack. Coutinho, Firmino and Lallana are expected to start in behind Sturridge – this is the same attacking four that dispatched of Villarreal in the second leg of the semi-final, and an even more effective display will be required of them to triumph in this game. They will all need to press: Firmino and Lallana have been particularly good at hassling the opposition into mistakes under Klopp, and this could be the key to unlocking Sevilla’s defence. Once they carve out the chances, they must take them ruthlessly – squandering opportunities is not necessarily the end of the world over two legs, but in the final a clinical streak must be shown. Certainly Liverpool have an attack capable of doing this; this is where passion and attitude come back into the equation. Unutilised talent is worthless: it is down to Klopp to ensure that every last player in a red shirt gives it their all.

This is, of course, equally applicable to the defence. Although they are not the strongest aspect of the team, they too will need to play at the very top of their games. It has recently emerged that Kolo Toure may be departing the club at the end of the season – guiding the club to silverware and Champions League qualification would be a perfect way to end. Dejan Lovren has had a very up-and-down career at Liverpool: he will need to be at his commanding best if Liverpool are to triumph. Alberto Moreno has come under a fair amount of criticism for his questionable defensive positioning and decision-making; this is somewhat mitigated by his strengths going forward, but he cannot afford to leave gaping holes in behind for Sevilla to exploit. Clyne also needs to watch his positioning: he has been solid all season, but big occasions can lead to errors. Most importantly, the four of them must work as a unit – they need to communicate, always pushing forwards together and dropping back together. Mignolet also needs to make sure he talks to his back line; he has never been the most authoritative of keepers, but a miscommunication in such a huge game could prove extremely costly.

Despite all the things that could go wrong, there is an unshakeable feeling that tonight is the night that will be looked back on as the night things changed for Liverpool Football Club. There is a tangible air of expectancy – Klopp and Liverpool have the makings of a truly seismic partnership, and a win tonight could well set in motion the revival that the club has threatened to undergo for so many years. On joining the club, the manager prompted us to turn from doubters into believers: tonight, more than any other, that message is applicable.

Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013

Crystal Palace 1-2 Liverpool: Post-Match Analysis

With half an hour to play at Palace, it looked as if it was going to be another joyless trip to Selhurst for Liverpool. An early second half goal for Joe Ledley had left the visitors in trouble, and the problems were seemingly compounded when James Milner was sent off after a needless second yellow. However, this seemed to spur Liverpool on – they were by far the better side after being reduced to ten, and stole a victory in the dying seconds of the game with a dubious penalty won and converted by substitute Christian Benteke. It probably was a spot kick, but the element of doubt only served to make the victory sweeter – the anger of Pardew and the Palace fans is some measure of revenge for the infamous 3-3 draw. Liverpool are now just six points off the top four, and can move to within five of Arsenal with a victory in their game in hand: although it is a long shot, it means the season is suddenly far from over after all.

In many ways it was an odd match. The first twenty minutes or so were full of promise for Liverpool: they played some lovely flowing football and created multiple half-chances, only being denied clear-cut opportunities by their tendency towards over-intricacy in the attacking third. Admittedly the defence looked shaky; Palace looked capable of getting a goal or two, coming extremely close through Adebayor after a Lovren error, but it seemed likely that Liverpool’s front line would be able to counteract this. However, this pattern of play gradually stopped – by the half-hour mark the defences were very much on top, with Palace in the ascendency going forward. Only dominant performances from Sakho and, after a poor start, Lovren, prevented the home side from taking the lead before half time; they won the vast majority of their aerial battles, and doubled up well with the full-backs where necessary to nullify the threat of Zaha and Bolasie. This is the second week in a row where Lovren has been worthy of singling out for praise: it would perhaps be premature to say that he is now looking like a 20 million pound defender, but at the very least he no longer looks out of place in the team.

Nevertheless, Palace were able to take the lead very early in the second period. Predictably, it was from a corner: it looked as if the danger had been cleared, but a poor touch from Firmino fell favourably for Joe Ledley. Despite not having scored in over a year the midfielder inevitably came up with an excellent finish, driving the ball beyond Mignolet and into the corner. Having not threatened in any meaningful way since the opening exchanges, things were not looking promising for Liverpool; Jurgen Klopp apparently felt the same way, opting to bring off Jon Flanagan and replace him with Coutinho. This is about as far from like-for-like as it gets – it probably gave Van Gaal some sort of fit – and it certainly signalled the manager’s attacking mindset. Just seconds later, however, he was forced into another major re-think when James Milner picked up a second yellow card for a completely brainless challenge in an area of no particular danger. The formation after this was essentially unrecognisable: the visitors went to a back three, but with two of the defenders –Moreno and Lovren - essentially playing at wing back rather than centrally. Fans have become accustomed to Moreno’s marauding runs, but do not expect them from Lovren; he was a revelation down the right, with his committed performance epitomised by an inch-perfect challenge to rob Souare deep in Palace territory. Emre Can was also immense. He seemed to be absolutely everywhere after the sending off, simultaneously a sweeper and playmaker. He is becoming quite a player, and it is exciting to see how he develops. Even so, the hosts should surely have found a way of capitalising on Liverpool’s makeshift, open back line. Instead they panicked, allowing the visitors to come on to them: it was as if they had just got a man sent off. This fear was evident in the manner of Liverpool’s equaliser – goalkeeper Alex McCarthy failed to deal with a fairly routine back-pass, gifting the ball to Roberto Firmino. He made up for his earlier poor touch, controlling the ball beautifully before coolly slotting the ball beyond McCarthy and into the corner.

At this point Palace were in limbo: a point against Liverpool would have been a good result for them considering their woeful form of late, but with the extra man they felt that they could get more from the game. Instead of shutting up shop and seeing out the last few minutes they continued to come forward – Sako and Gayle were introduced to inject pace into the attack. Gaps were subsequently left at the back - despite a late defensive switch from Klopp that saw Toure replace Firmino, Liverpool showed no signs of wanting to settle for a point. The manager highlighted this after the game: although Palace largely gifted Liverpool the three points, the team still showed great spirit to push on. With just a minute of added time remaining, Henderson picked out Benteke with an inch-perfect pass: the Belgian showed a rare piece of good movement to get on the end of it, then went down under the challenge of Damien Delaney. It was a ridiculous tackle to make – Benteke was running harmlessly towards the by-line, and could simply have been shepherded out. Delaney tried to pull out of it but his knee caught Benteke’s foot: the striker went down, and after consulting with his assistant Andre Marriner pointed to the spot. Benteke himself stepped up to take the penalty: he showed incredible nerve to execute a perfect stutter penalty, making McCarthy commit then putting it the other side. He may not have had the best of times since joining for Liverpool, but the £32.5 million was all worth it to get one over on Palace like this.

The result means that Liverpool continue to make their league position look more favourable: they are the most in-form side over the last five games, and that turnaround in fortunes is reflected in the fact that we are now just six points off a Champions League space. Even though snatching a fourth place finish late on is highly implausible, it is no longer beyond the realms of possibility: this gives the team something to play for, and will prevent the season from simply petering out. With the Europa League clash to come against United on Thursday, there are bound to be plenty more exciting moments still to come in this campaign.
-James Martin
Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013

Liverpool 3-0 Manchester City: Post-Match Analysis

After Sunday’s defeat to Manchester City in the Capital One Cup Final, Liverpool hosted them at Anfield with one objective: revenge. Certainly the Reds seemed very motivated: they worked harder than their opponents from the outset, and in doing so earned an emphatic 3-0 win. Not only did this bring immense satisfaction after the loss on penalties, it also brought a possibility of unlikely redemption in the league; the win moved Liverpool to just six points off fourth, with a game in hand on all of the teams above them bar City themselves.

Even more important than the potential rekindling of top four hopes is the level of performance Liverpool showed they were capable of. It was probably the best performance since Klopp’s arrival, and it encapsulated the German’s philosophy: the players pressed in organised packs, limiting City’s time and space effectively and hustling them into mistakes. Milner and Lallana, both much maligned at times in their Anfield careers, put in excellent performances – they tirelessly chased down balls, and were rewarded with a goal apiece. Lallana opened the scoring with an opportunistic low drive into the corner that caught out Hart, with Milner topping off a lovely flowing move for the second after latching on to a Firmino flick. The ex-Hoffenheim man was also excellent: he looked dangerous whenever he got the ball, and capped off the rout with a cool finish after a clever ball into him from Lallana.

In contrast, the City attack looked toothless. The Liverpool back line was not a familiar one – Jon Flanagan started on the right with Clyne playing out of position at left back, while Toure and Lovren were the centre-back pairing. It was Flanagan’s first start since 2014, but he put in an excellent performance; aside from a couple of poor passes in dangerous areas, one of which was largely down to Henderson’s ball putting him under pressure, he didn’t put a foot wrong. He was particularly effective at keeping Raheem Sterling quiet – much to the glee of Liverpool fans, he repeatedly robbed him of possession and even knocked him to the ground. Sterling looked completely ineffectual, and was replaced by Bony at half-time. By the sixty minute mark Pellegrini had three centre-forwards on, with Ihenacho replacing Fernandinho, but still they could not trouble a resolute Liverpool back line. Klopp singled out Toure for praise after he managed to make up a lot of ground to rob Aguero: the Ivorian is in the last year of his contract, but has surely shown in recent weeks that he still offers enough to warrant a one year extension. At any rate, he will have given the club food for thought. Lovren, too, is starting to change people’s minds: he is starting to settle at the club, and put in an assured display in this game.

Another player beginning to adapt to life at Liverpool is Divock Origi. He has now clearly established his position ahead of Benteke in the pecking order; Sturridge was never likely to start after completing the full 120 minutes on Sunday, and sure enough Origi was the one named in the starting eleven. Although he was not directly involved in any of the goals, the 20 year-old showed his potential: he tirelessly ran across the back line, constantly keeping the City defenders occupied. He is regularly compared to compatriots Benteke and Lukaku, but this is a lazy equivalency to draw – in fact he bears more resemblance to Sturridge, albeit with more power to his game. His movement is excellent, and he has shown flashes of great technical ability on the ball: certainly he is an exciting talent.

This game will not just have given Liverpool fans hope of a bright future – there is now a remote but distinct possibility that something could be made of our Premier League campaign. Liverpool have a game in hand over all but one of the teams above them and currently sit six points adrift of fourth: this is by no means an insurmountable margin. The likelihood is that our chronic lack of consistency will prevent us from mounting any serious challenge for Champions League place, but with the form of the current top four it cannot be ruled out.

 Even if we do not, however, there are still plenty of things to be positive about. Jurgen Klopp is starting to impose his philosophies on the side, and as a result performances and indeed results are gradually picking up. He is also the most likeable, relatable manager we could possibly have hoped for, as well as arguably being the best coach in the league. This is a great combination, and one that could truly lead to the return of Liverpool as a European footballing force. In the short term, we are still in the Europa League and have every chance of progressing against United: the Capital One Cup may be gone, but Liverpool Football Club is on the up.
-James Martin
Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013

Liverpool 1-0 Augsburg: Post-Match Analysis

Liverpool went into the second leg of the Europa League Round of 32 tie against Augsburg with the aggregate score standing at 0-0. The result in Germany left the Anfield side needing a win to progress: another goalless draw would have sent the game to extra time, and any other draw would have seen the German outfit progress on away goals.  Despite a troubling lack of clinical finishing the hosts were able to get a goal; at the other end, a clean sheet was preserved in spite of a late spell of pressure for Augsburg.

Although the narrow margin left nerves shredded towards the end, in general the Liverpool performance can be described as promising. The fledgling partnership of Coutinho, Firmino and Sturridge, against whom circumstances have conspired for much of this season, is already beginning to blossom – communication is naturally not what it could be at times, but they showed patches of exquisite fluency in this game. The movement and awareness that all three of them possess makes for a deadly combination: the level of intricacy is exceptional. Their pressing, too, is encouraging to see: two or three chances were carved out purely as a result of good pressure placed on the back line.  The only negative point to be raised in regard to their play is the fact that, no matter how nice on the eye it was at times, it did not result in a goal: there were plenty of near misses, but none of them were able to find the back of the net.

The goal Liverpool did get came courtesy of a James Milner penalty. An Augsburg defender was adjudged to have handled the ball in the box just four minutes in, and the ex-City midfielder finished coolly into the bottom corner. The Reds continued to push forwards after taking the lead, and were by far the better side in the first half. Augsburg created nothing for themselves, their only opportunity coming from an under-weighted back-pass from Lucas. Despite their domination, however, Liverpool were unable to extend their lead. This frustration continued into the start of the second half; the attack continued to look dangerous but still could not find a finish, Sturridge coming closest when his shot struck the post.

Into the latter portion of the second half, the balance shifted. It seemed for all the world that Liverpool would be punished for their failure to get a second as the German side piled forward, knowing a goal would send them through. They very nearly got it; a Seferovic free kick went narrowly wide, and a pull-back from the left would surely have resulted in a goal had the ball not been inadvertently diverted out of immediate danger by Esswein. This shakiness late on needs to be addressed if Liverpool wish to progress any further in the Europa League and indeed as a club – a better opponent would surely have punished the late collapse in defensive assuredness.

That being said, there is no point dwelling on the defensive frailties in the short term. In a season where the Europa League and Capital One Cup are all there is realistically left to play for, progression was the primary objective – this has been achieved, and if the aforementioned attacking trio continue their progression together then there is no reason to suggest further progress cannot be made. For the time being, however, the squad’s focus will firmly be on the upcoming trip to Wembley on Sunday to face Manchester City in the final of the League Cup. Hopefully the promise going forward seen against Augsburg will prove to have been a warm-up for the main event: if the players can find a lethal streak, it is very plausible that Liverpool will be able to get their hands on the first piece of silverware under the Jurgen Klopp era.
-James Martin
Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013

Liverpool 0-0 West Ham: The Kids Are Alright

Another day, another fixture for Liverpool. They have averaged roughly a game every four days since Jurgen Klopp arrived, including nine games in January alone. The German cannot be blamed, therefore, for opting to field a young side in this FA Cup clash with West Ham United. They held up well against the Premier League opposition, succeeding where the senior side have already failed twice this season in that they avoided a loss. However, the reward for their endeavours is yet another fixture: they were the better side but failed to find the net, so will have to do it all again in a replay at Upton Park.

The game was largely an uneventful one, but nonetheless there were some positives. Most of these young players had never been tested against a big side like West Ham, and they coped with the challenge admirably. There were a couple of shaky moments in defence, but the back line was comprised of mostly senior players. In the midfield the likes of Teixeira, Brannagan and Stewart featured, and all put in good performances. Brannagan took the majority of the plaudits, partially because he came closest to scoring with a well-struck effort that forced a smart stop out of Randolph, but Stewart was arguably the more impressive. I’ll admit to not having heard of him until relatively recently, but he did not look at all out of place at this high level of competition. He showed composure on the ball and passed it around nicely; the only sign of his inexperience was a little overzealousness in the challenge from time to time. Teixeira showed flashes of his quality, playing in a couple of dangerous balls, but was often on a different wavelength to Benteke and consequently was largely ineffectual.

This lack of attacking cohesion was the biggest problem in the match - although Liverpool were regularly able to work the ball into the final third, they looked clueless as to what to do with it when they got there. Ibe, Teixeira and Benteke all seemed to have different ideas about what runs should be made, meaning the killer final ball just never materialised. This has been endemic of Liverpool’s season, particularly when Benteke has played: it would be churlish to suggest he is not talented, but it is hard to avoid the fact that he simply is not compatible with the fluid , high pressing front line Liverpool employ. He was not entirely to blame - Ibe had another poor game, passing up good opportunities to pass in favour of pointlessly cutting inside in a Glen Johnson-esque fashion. His season has been far from inspiring: it would be foolish to write him off at this stage as he is still so young, but Klopp is right to leave him out of the regular first team picture for the time being.

By contrast, Allen has had an excellent season compared to his previous ones at the club. He still hasn’t earned himself a spot in Klopp’s go-to starting eleven, but if he keeps up his current levels of performance he may well break into the first team soon. His goal against Arsenal and winning penalty against Stoke can only have boosted his confidence; this was epitomised by his attempted bicycle kick from the edge of the box against the Hammers. Such was the nature of the game that this was one of our better chances - he was barged as he went for it, prompting half-hearted penalty shouts, and the ball almost fell for Teixeira. It almost certainly wasn’t a penalty, but he must be applauded anyway for at least trying to make things happen in front of goal. At the other end West Ham should have had a spot kick - Steven Caulker was shown to have deliberately handled the ball inside the box from a West Ham free kick. The hosts got away with it, however, and at the end of the day a draw was probably a fair reflection.

It would be easy to be negative about this result and complain about the extra game it gives us in an already congested schedule. However, there are enough things to be pessimistic about without needlessly placing a negative spin on this match - ultimately we have succeeded in remaining in the competition and keeping our treble hopes alive! This is no bad thing, and while an extra match isn’t ideal it is good news that we are still in the FA Cup.

-James Martin

Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013

Manchester City 1-4 Liverpool: Post-Match Thoughts

Today, Liverpool finally showed what fans have been desperate to see since August. When Firmino joined our ranks in the summer there was great excitement – a creative midfielder renowned for perfectly timed runs and a good end product, the yang to Coutinho’s yin. However, until now, this dream of a perfectly balanced Brazilian partnership has been hampered by the poor form of Coutinho and a series of knocks and niggles suffered by Firmino. Against Manchester City, however, it all clicked into place. The two of them ran the show, particularly in the first half; a dazed City defence couldn’t handle the passing and movement of the skilled pair, and were three behind within half an hour. Firmino bagged a goal and two assists, and would have had a hattrick had it not been for the excellent performance of Joe Hart; Coutinho also clocked up a goal and assist. A moment of magic from Aguero following some shambolic defending temporarily put a slight dampener on proceedings, but the party mood was very much revived by a fearsome half-volley from Martin Skrtel of all people.

I was trying to think of a way to work it subtly into the article, but I think I’m just going to come out and say it – I’m feeling quite smug right now. I have consistently defended Firmino against those who have written him off ridiculously early, and I even brought him into my fantasy team recently: I was confident that he could deliver for us, and today he gave us a taste of what he can bring to our team. He was definitely man of the match for me – no mean feat on a day when every single player put in a good shift – and everything good we produced seemed to involve him in one way or another. His link-up with Coutinho was especially impressive: the second goal in particular saw them combine exquisitely, with Firmino slotting a pinpoint ball through to his compatriot who finished coolly. Considering his limited game time up to now, this partnership was particularly impressive – he seems to naturally gel in our team. Indeed, he played well with everyone: he and Emre Can had some nice interplay on multiple occasions, for example. Can’s performance is definitely worthy of note – he pushed forwards a lot, and fulfilled the role of playmaker excellently. He pulled off two or three perfect backheels that bamboozled the defence, one of which led to the third goal. Again, this was extremely pleasing to see: his form has been a little underwhelming so far this campaign and it was great to see him step up for the big occasion.

The feeling of smugness doesn’t just apply to me: the club as a whole must be feeling very pleased with themselves regarding the Raheem Sterling deal. The young Englishman was woefully ineffectual against us, with the highlight being his failure to convert from six yards out. This was made all the more enjoyable by the fact that Firmino, who we bought using some of the Sterling money, was bossing the game – of course we should remember that Sterling is younger, but for today at least it was hugely satisfying to watch our former starlet get so comprehensively outshone. Questions were asked about our investments this summer, but the two big-money signings have not disappointed so far: Benteke, while frustrating to watch at times, has netted four goals, and as already documented Firmino has recently exploded on to the first team scene. Jurgen Klopp, who is a joy to watch in press conferences and on the sidelines during matches, is getting the best out of all of the players: this comprehensive win against arguably the best side in the league demonstrates that under his leadership we have the potential to do big things.

That said, tempting as it is to ride on the wave of euphoria from today and ignore all negatives, expectations should be tempered. Klopp said it himself when he joined – getting Liverpool back to the top will take time. Yes, we’ve humiliated City in their own back yard this week, but our last game was a defeat at home to Crystal Palace. The German has already mastered counter-attacking tactics for away games, but at home we continue to struggle. Our attack is regularly left frustrated, unable to pick apart packed defences, and our own back line lets us down when teams break against us. Sakho’s absence will only accentuate this problem; I am confident that we’ll do a good job with what we have up to January, but there’s no hiding the fact that a new central defender (or two) is ultimately required. Our target now has to be to remain in contention until the next transfer window – if we achieve this, we can strengthen further and then kick on for at least a top four spot. A few more results like this one and that shouldn’t be a problem. This was the most enjoyable Liverpool match for some time: long may it continue. Vamos Brasil!

-James Martin

Follow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013