We’ve been here before. When Liverpool won the Premier League title in 2020, they did so with seven games to spare.
It meant that Jurgen Klopp’s side won the title earlier than any other side in top-flight history. Indeed, even had the Reds not won a single point after the pandemic-enforced lockdown, they’d still have won the title. The Reds had 82 points after 29 games (yes, dropping just five points in 27 Premier League games) when the pandemic paused life. Manchester City only gained 81 points by the end of the season.
Liverpool’s quite absurdly early winning of the title meant that the final seven games of the season saw them receive a ‘guard of honour’ from seven different teams. Had fans been inside stadiums, it would have been a victory parade like no other, especially as it ended Liverpool fans’ 30-year wait to celebrate a title.
You genuinely couldn’t have scripted it. “I’m some senses, the film was a horror film,” joked James Erskine, director of the ‘End of The Storm’ documentary, to FFT on Liverpool’s title win.
Now, four years later, the end to this season threatens to have a similar feel - albeit without a title being won with seven games remaining. This is, instead, the Klopp farewell, an extended love-in for the boss who ended the title drought, brought European Cup number six, made them Club World Champions for the first time in their history and provided chapter upon chapter for the club’s illustrious history books.
Klopp has previously told Liverpool supporters not to sing his name during games, preferring for the focus to be on the players on the pitch, but that went out the window in the first game after he announced his resignation. “Jurgen said to me ya know,” rang out from the Kop inside two minutes in the FA Cup win over Norwich.
Ahead of Chelsea arriving at Anfield, Klopp told fans, via his programme notes, “This is definitely an occasion to forget that the manager is leaving at the end of the season and to do everything that we can as a collective to make it as uncomfortable as we possibly can for a really strong opponent.”
Liverpool's statement performance
Uncomfortable would be an understatement to describe how Chelsea must have felt after a simply sensational, statement performance from Klopp’s side.
In that title-winning season of 2019/20, the performance that many note is the Boxing Day thrashing of Leicester City; a game that saw Trent Alexander-Arnold dominate from right back and score a superb goal that arrowed across goal from the edge of the box into the opposite corner.
Here at Anfield on Wednesday night, Alexander-Arnold sat on the bench and watched on as 20-year-old Conor Bradley provided his best impression of his senior teammate.
Bradley, who hadn’t played a minute of Premier League football just 10 days ago, was simply faultless; defensively perfect and offensively outstanding. His goal arrowed into the very bottom corner like Trent's at Leicester. His cross for Dominik Szoboszlai was the crowning moment of what was one of the best individual performances Anfield has witnessed under Klopp. Two assists and a goal, man of the match and a 10 out of 10 performance.
“[It is] something I've dreamed of for a long time,” said the Northern Irishman, who played more minutes than any teenager in world football last season. “I just feel like I'm in a dream.”
Bradley’s night was curtailed in the 68th minute to allow Alexander-Arnold to make his return from injury. But Bradley’s performance creates a dilemma Klopp would not have anticipated when Alexander-Arnold was first sidelined. Quite how do you drop a player after that performance?!
A potential injury to Alexis Mac Allister could provide the solution that Klopp wouldn’t have wanted, should the Argentine be out when the Reds travel to Arsenal on Sunday, Alexander-Arnold could take the midfield role and Bradley keep his place at right-back.
“Trent should take care of his position!” joked Szoboszlai post-match.
Liverpool are absolutely flying, they have a young right-back dominating and are playing scintillating attacking football. We’ve been here before.
More Liverpool stories
Report claims Trent Alexander-Arnold is set to follow Jurgen Klopp out the exit door
Watch as Liverpool fans give Klopp a rousing reception on first appearance since announcing summer departure
