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  • TLW
    Jurgen Klopp says he witnessed the finest 45 minutes of Football since he has been manager of Liverpool as the Reds booked their second Cup final date at Wembley stadium this season with a 3-2 win over Man City.
     
    When the two teams met in the Premier League six days ago, the general consensus were that the reigning title holders had shaded the encounter and unlucky not to claim all three points.
     
    Coming into this fixture, Liverpool had last tasted success against City more than two years ago (3-1 win in November 2019) and would have seen this game as a chance to bury any perception that the reigning league champions had the wood on them.
     
    And that they did with a superb first half opening up a three goal lead with Ibrahima Konate heading home the first and Sadio Mane grabbing a double.
     
    While the score was imposing, the manager was just as impressed with the overall display which put their rivals to the sword.
     
    A beaming manager told the assembled media after the game (per the Official site).
     

     
    “Absolutely proud, incredible.
     
    “Yeah, I think (it was the best first half performance). It was the feeling I had after the game – or when I saw the first half – because of the quality of the opponent, which is why in the second half they demonstrated how good they really are. 
     
    “So, denying them in so many moments is so difficult and creating your own opportunities, using them, is obviously very difficult as well. The first half was outstanding in pretty much all parts of the game, I would say."
     
    While the second 45 minutes was not nearly as comfortable, it was something that Klopp expected especially taking into account the quality of the opponent.
     
    "In the second half, they scored – like we did in the previous game – an early goal, then it's clear, it opens up. No football player on the planet feels safe against City with a 3-1 lead, it is always clear what they can do. 
     
    “There were moments when we defended well, but they were one time through and it was like, 'Oops!' It was really good; yes, we needed Ali, what a game he played, but had our own moments as well and could've decided the game earlier. We didn't do it and that makes it a bit more special – 3-0 against City would feel kind of strange. 3-2 is a fair result and this was still good enough to bring us to the final.”
     
    Once again Klopp refused to engage in the discussion regarding a possible quadruple citing the fact that the players will have games coming at them at all angles in a frenetic end to the season and hence they will take it one game at a time and see where it all ends up.
     
    However he talked in depth about the performance of the two goal hero.
     

     
    “He played an incredible game, an absolutely incredible game. He was the first player to start the press, so it was intense for him as well. The first goal he scored, I love it.
     
    "But I don't like too much that the goalie will get some criticism for it, but it's not about that because Zack can do what he wants in that situation, like Ederson did a week ago. These kind of things happen, with Ali and all these things. If you want to play football, that can happen. But the acceleration of Sadio, the desire to get there, it was really great.
     
    "So this goal was great and the other one was obviously proper football until the final pass with the little chip and then the volley – it was a great goal. Ibou scored now the third goal in his third start in a row, if I'm 100 per cent right, which is very helpful as well.
     
    "Set-pieces are very important, especially [when] teams are a little bit more focused on Virgil, so it's really important that the second target player can use that maybe. He did it now three times, it's really cool.”
     
    The amount of various qualities that Klopp has brought to the club is undeniable and one of the most iconic things about the German is how he engages with the fanbase, especially after a big win.
     
    He relayed the story about being reminded to do the famous ‘fist pumps’ by one of his players.
     

     
    “Millie told me I had to do it. I actually wanted to go but Millie said, 'You have to.' So I did it because of Millie.
     
    "I think in this moment it's really important to say as well, because it was really special and we all felt it was really special, the atmosphere our people created here was second to none. The weather was perfect for the crowd and I loved each part of it. It was really outstanding."
     
     
  • The Reds have reached the FA Cup Final after a tremendous display at Wembley. The 3-2 scoreline doesn't come close to telling the full story of a game in which Liverpool dominated for long periods.
     
    Sadio Mané scored twice and Ibou Konate found the net for the third game running, but City scored in the first and last minute of the second half to give the score a flattering look for them.
     
    TLW Editor Dave Usher is joined by Ian Brown and Paul Natton to look back on a fabulous victory and to also preview the clash with the other half of Manchester on Tuesday night.
     
     
     
  • Jurgen Klopp admits he is proud of his teams’ achievements in consistently getting themselves to the final stages of major competitions this season and is hoping they get rewarded for their efforts in the weeks ahead.
     
    The Reds meet their current day nemesis Man City for the second time in six days in another high stakes encounter, this team being the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley stadium.
     
    While Liverpool have become accustomed to winning silverware under the German, this week saw the club achieve another piece of club history.
     
    After the win against Benfica, they have now qualified for all three semi finals of the major cup competitions in the one season (League Cup, FA Cup and Champions League.)
     
    While at first adding a bit of humour to the idea of celebrating semi-final qualification, Klopp said (per the Echo) that the achievement in its own right it is remarkable and another demonstration of consistency.
     

     
    “Imagine if we had done the same for five years, huh? That would be great…three semi-finals and winning nothing nothing. The world is not ready for this kind of success! 
     
    “No, it’s true (we have written history). This specific thing, nobody did it in this club. I’m really happy for the boys. This club it is so difficult to do something that our fathers and grandfathers didn’t do already. So it is really special.”
     
    The question is often raised in general media discussion and to the manager at press conferences if the team can seemingly do the impossible and win all four major trophies on offer for this campaign.
     
    It is a feat that Klopp says does not bear thinking about, and in a way to ease the burden, he has set a modest goal for his players to achieve.
     
    "We don’t think about the quadruple. Imagine if I was to sit here and you would not ask me about it, but I would just constantly start referring to the quadruple - if I did that you would think I was completely mad." 
     
    “In the year that we got to the Champions League final and won that (in 2019), we didn’t have the squad size but we came through. We didn’t become (league) champions because of 11mm or whatever. We carried on in the Champions League. 
     
    “Imagine that? It is always intense.
     
    "This year is especially intense but it is enjoyable and exciting. Is it likely that we win the four competitions? No. Three competitions? No. One more? Hopefully. That would be nice."
     
     
     
  • I don’t really have any particularly strong opinions on this one. In the micro it’s not good. A home draw to follow up the defeat we had to Inter in the last round is something of a concern. Giving away three goals is bad and what makes it worse is it could easily have been more. Then you zoom out to look at the macro and it’s a much brighter picture.
     
    We qualified for the semi finals with a bit to spare despite resting more or the less the entire starting line up. We didn’t win the game, but then we didn’t need to. We just needed to win the tie, which we did, comfortably. While it didn’t look good seeing Benfica repeatedly get in behind our high line, would that have happened if we’d have been at full throttle, let alone fielded our best team? Unlikely.
     
    We’re at the business end of the season and every result counts. If we can catch a breather, rest players and not fully exert those who do play while still being able to achieve the result we need, then that’s cause for celebration, not concern. We did what we needed to do and we did it with the minimum of effort. I can’t criticise that, especially as it’s how I’ve lived my whole life. 
     
    I’m not completely dismissing the more worrying elements of the performance but I’m not wasting too much energy worrying about them either, especially as it wasn’t the line up that we’ll be counting on for the next couple of months. I thought overall we played pretty well and we controlled virtually all of the game. We created chances, scored goals, and played some lovely football.
     
    We also looked wide open and could have conceded more than three. That points towards defensive frailty, but I don’t think it was the back four who were culpable for it really. We play a high line and the defence did what we always do, but when you do that with no real pressure on the ball you can come unstuck. And we did. Often.
     
    That’s always going to happen if we aren’t playing at full throttle, and in a game like this we’d have been stupid to play at full throttle. So while there is a nagging concern that teams might finally be figuring out how to stay onside and get in behind us, it’s hard to judge that in a game like this.
     
    I didn’t think there was anything too surprising about the line up. I expected Gomez, Konate and Kostas to start, but presumed it would be Van Dijk rather than Matip with them. Virgil has hardly had a rest all season though so it makes sense to let him have a breather ahead of the mad run of games we’ve got coming.
     
    The midfield was a little surprising as I assumed Curtis might get a run out with Keita and either Hendo or Fabinho. Instead we had Milner given a rare start. Hendo got the nod over Fabinho but he was never going to be playing more than an hour, and so it proved.
     
    Up front Bobby and Diaz were nailed on starters but I expected Mo to play just because he needs a goal spot badly. He was on the bench and Jota got the start. 
     
    We began the game brightly and looked dangerous, especially down the left where Kostas was enjoying a lot of the ball in advanced areas. We had a few chances that we didn’t convert until the big fella showed the rest how it’s done by planting a header into the bottom corner. He likes playing against these.
     
    Some Benfica players were appealing to the ref about something and initially I wondered if Konate had maybe shoved his marker or climbed on him to prevent him jumping. The keeper was especially vociferous about it, but when you see the replay it’s completely baffling as to what they were on about. There’s no foul, and Konate doesn’t actually even win the ball at the peak of his jump. He’s on his way down when he heads it, but the Benfica defenders didn’t even bother to jump.
     
    Great to see him among the goals recently though and it’s really impressive to see how prolific we are from corners. It’s a shame we barely managed any at City last week but maybe this weekend we can force a few more and convert one of them.
     
    That put us up by three goals in the tie and we looked in the mood to add to it. Diaz was looking really lively again and stung the palms of the keeper after beating a defender with an outrageous dummy,
     
    Then Benfica equalised out of nothing really when Milner made a tackle and inadvertently diverted the ball perfectly into the path of Ramos. There was a VAR check as initially he looked off, but he wasn’t and even if he had been it wouldn’t have mattered as the ball had come off Milner anyway. Really nice finish as well to be fair.
     
    Firmino should have restored our three goal cushion when Milner sent him clear. The keeper was miles out of his goal and the ball sat up nicely. It was screaming out for the lob but he spurned that, probably because it was on his left foot, and chose to carry the ball goal wards instead.
     
    That allowed the keeper to get back in but Bobby had no intention of going on his own anyway. He rarely does. He’ll always look to see if there’s a team-mate well placed and if there is he’ll look to find them. In this case it was Diaz, who would have had a tap in had Bobby put enough juice on the pass. It was a fraction away from being perfect.
     
    He made amends after the break when he finished from close range in front of the Kop. Bit of a strange goal. The build up was nice, with Keita splitting the defence to release Diaz only for him to over run the ball. The keeper got there first but didn’t deal with it well and then a defender made a hash of his clearance. It fell to Jota on the left edge of the box but his shot wasn’t great and was heading well wide until Bobby arrived on the scene to finish.
     
    There was a VAR check as its was a tight one, but he was just onside. Soon after he was celebrating a second goal as he side footed in a delicious Tsimikas free-kick. Two assists for the Greek scouser. He’s so fucking good that there’s barely any kind of drop off whenever Robbo is rested. We could definitely do worse than use him at right back when Trent isn’t playing.
     
    Not that Gomez is doing a bad job. He was steady again and did as much as we could ask from him. He did play them onside for their second goal but he’s basically half a yard behind the rest of the backline. That’s going to happen a lot regardless of who is in the defence. It’s not like he’s three yards deeper than everyone else, so I wouldn’t hold that against him at all.
     
    We had been 6-2 up on aggregate when Klopp made his changes. Fab for Hendo, Thiago for Milner, Salah for Jota and Sadio for Diaz. You’d think that would have made us stronger but somehow we ended up conceding two and it could have been more.
     
    Their second goal had initially been ruled out after the linesman flagged, but VAR overturned that one. Soon after they scored again. Again, the linesman put his flag up and again it was overturned by VAR. That’s how tight these calls were. We’re talking inches really. Konate had played them on for the third, which was expertly finished by that Darwin Nunez lad.
     
    Going from 3-1 to 3-3 was irritating but I didn’t feel like the result was in any kind of danger. It might have been had Alisson not made a great save immediately after it had gone 3-3. Nunez thought he’d scored with a superb volley from the edge of the box but Alisson got down to turn the shot around the post. That was a huge moment in the game because there were ten minutes left at that point and had we gone 4-3 down nerves would have definitely started jangling. Alisson has a habit of making pivotal saves in Europe though.
     
    After that we were comfortable enough and had plenty of opportunities to kill the game. We couldn’t finish any of them off though. Mo looked sharp but didn’t get his goal and will go into Saturday in a long barren spell now. I was hoping he’d have ended it in this one but maybe the stage is set for him to light up Wembley.
     
    Sadio did have the ball in the net but he was well offside. He seems to be offside a hell of a lot actually. It’s something he probably needs to be more aware of as I’m always seeing him just run miles offside when there’s no need.
     
    Benfica had another goal disallowed late on when Nunez finished well again but was clearly offside. Good player him, despite the appalling haircut.
     
    So all in all an underwhelming result omn the night but a more than satisfactory outcome from the tie itself. A comfortable quarter final win with most of the team able to put their feet up sets us up nicely for the weekend. It’s in stark contrast to City’s preparation. They had to run the gauntlet of the full Atletico Madrid experience and picked up a couple of injuries along the way.
     
    If De Bruyne and Walker don’t make it for Saturday that definitely gives us the edge. It’s going to be tough regardless of who they select but De Bruyne is the biggest threat to us so if he is missing that’s a huge boost for us.
     
    We look like we’ll have a full compliment to choose from and this is a massive game for us. Not just because there’s a place in the final at stake, but also because there’s every likelihood we’ll play City in the Champions League Final and this is a chance for us to make up for the last few meetings with them when we’ve not played anywhere near our best (probably because they haven’t allowed us to, in fairness).
     
    The result is the most important thing of course, but I really need to see a performance too just to make me feel more comfortable about the idea of facing them in the final, because quite frankly I can’t think of anything worse right now. That would be the final from hell.
     
    Star man is Kostas although I could just as easily have gone for Bobby, who I’d have started at Wembley anyway but now must surely have booked his spot in the line up. I think we need to go with the original front three this Saturday because an in form Bobby’s ability to keep the ball and link the play could be just what we need in that game. He’s on 98 goals for us now too. Wembley would be the perfect place for him to bring up the century.
     
     
    Team: Alisson; Gomez, Matip, Konate, Tsimikas; Henderson (Fabinho), Keita, Milner (Thiago); Diaz (Mané), Firmino (Origi), Jota (Salah):
     
     
     
  • Another Champions League semi final awaits as the Reds did enough to ease past Benfica despite being held to a 3-3 draw at Anfield in an entertaining second leg.
     
    Chris Smith is joined by Julian Richards and TLW Editor Dave Usher as the lads look back on an eventful 90 minutes, before briefly looking ahead to the double header with Villarreal and then previewing Saturday's FA Cup clash with City at Wembley.
     
     
  • Liverpool has a proud and illustrious history in the pitch, winning trophies with the club and showing off their skills to thousands of adoring fans. Picking the best out of the bunch is always a struggle as there is so much talent, and we are convinced, there is also so much more to come. Liverpool players show immense talent, heart, and consistency.
     
    It’s no wonder that these players are some of the top to be bet on when players are betting at new online casino sites, like those found here.
     
    Here are the top 5 most under-rated legends of all time to have represented the mighty Reds.  
     
    John Aldridge 
     
    John Aldridge is a predatory striker from the late 1980s and he is the first player to kick off the list. He spent two-and-a-half years at the club, and he was recently announced as one of the best goalscorers in Liverpool’s history. 
     
    He is known for wearing the No. 8 shirt on his back. Aldridge hit 63 goals in 104 games, and he was a major contributor to winning the 1987-88 league championship and the FA Cup the following season. He scored in the final at Wembley only a year later he missed a penalty on that same stage. John Aldridge left Liverpool for Real Sociedad in late 1989. 
     
    Jack Balmer 
     
    Jack Balmer was one of Liverpool’s early greats from the post-war era. He hit over 100 goals for Liverpool, despite losing parts of his career during the time of the way. Balmer helped Liverpool win the First Division league title in 46-47. 
     
    One of his records comes from scoring hat-tricks in three consecutive matches during that campaign. Balmer became captain of the Reds until ’49 and played at the club until ’52. He left the club with 111 scored goals in 312 games. 
     
    Ian Callaghan 
     
    Callaghan is one of the most legendary figures of all time and he is the first-team player with the most appearances for the club, having played in 857 games. He spent almost two decades with the Reds, transforming from a young apprentice to then playing for the reserve team. He won five league titles, two FA Cups, two UEFA Cups, and two European Cups in the period from 1960 to 1978. 
     
    He was also part of England’s successful 1966 World Cup-winning squad and he was awarded an MBE too. He scored 68 goals in his time at the club. 
     
    Jimmy Case 
     
    Jimmy Case made the breakthrough to the Reds in 1975 and he represented his side with distinction for 269 games, scoring 46 times. He played as a midfielder for Liverpool and was a great all-rounder player with a fearless approach with a defensive, technical, and aggressive ability to attack.  He went on to win no less than three European Cups with the Reds. Case left Liverpool as a local hero in 1981. 
     
    Dietmar Hamann 
     
    Former central midfielder, Dietmar Hamann played 283 games for the Reds in his seven-year stay at Anfield. He also played a big role in the victorious 2005 Champions League. He acted as a protector to the Liverpool defence, and he was a consistent performer throughout. 
     
    The former Germany international provided the base for more attack-minded members to join the Reds, knowing that they have great cover behind them at every moment during the game. 
     
  • At the press conference after the draw against Manchester City, Jürgen Klopp talked about the intensity of the game and what he thinks it will take for Liverpool to win the Premier League title.
     
    In the 2-2 match against Manchester City, Liverpool had many problems in the first half. Still, already after a minute of play in the second half, they equalized thanks to the great interplay between Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané. 
     
    The tie result makes for great excitement in the rest of the Premier League matches in the season, as Manchester City leads the league with a single point above Liverpool. Looking at the odds offered by betting sites Canada found here, Manchester City is predicted to win, but anything can still happen.  
     
    Like a boxing match
     
    When Jürgen Klopp met the press after the game, he was asked if he was unhappy with his team's performance in the first 45 minutes.
     
    - I was not dissatisfied, but I knew we could do better. It wasn't like I went into the dressing room and asked what we were doing. I know how intense it is. The level of concentration required in these games is unbelievable, he said, according to Liverpoolfc.com.
     
    - This was like a boxing match! Two heavyweights against each other, the second you let your guard down, you get a hard punch in the face, then you have to get up and try to regain control. That's what happened.
     
    - What we said at half-time was about how we needed to defend. We needed to be braver in certain situations. When we didn't do that, we couldn't put pressure on the ball carrier, and with perfectly timed runs, they could get in behind our backline.
     
    Pep Guardiola's reaction
     
    Pep Guardiola shared the feeling that it was two heavyweight boxers battling it out at Etihad.
     
    - Yes, Klopp likes these boxing matches. This was great publicity for the Premier League. Both teams wanted to win. I had a feeling we kept them alive, but it's a joy to watch Liverpool play, he told Sky Sports.
     
    - Now we have seven games left to play, and we have to win them all, or it's over.
     
    Guardiola was asked in a post-match interview if he had been inspired by Liverpool in his tactical choices ahead of the game. The Spaniard replied, "Yes, I like to be inspired by the best teams."
     
    - We don't own the style of play, so it's not a problem, Klopp said when the subject was raised at his press conference.
     
    - Who cares, City also get to hit balls in behind the backline. When you have the runs they have, I couldn't respect it more. Kevin De Bruyne... it's easy to hit the pass, but the timing of their runs wasn't bad, I must say.
     
    - We could have done it too, but we were in the mood to play. It's cool. It's about winning games, not about what style of play you show. There were moments when they played in a way they usually don't, but I thought it was a good idea.
     
    There are now seven rounds left in the Premier League. Like Guardiola, Klopp believes that seven wins are the key to a title challenge.
     
    - Yes, that's probably it. Nothing has changed for us. Back in January, we knew that if we wanted to win, we needed 18 wins, and if there was any game we could tick, it was this one. We ticked it, so now we'll see.
     
    - Now we have two huge games coming up, we have Benfica on Wednesday and City again on Saturday, and after that, the seriousness really starts. We have to be ready for our derbies.
     
    - But it feels good. We're where we want to be, and we're close to an incredibly good team. My guys showed today that we're really, really good, and as I've said a few times, you're completely screwed without a bit of luck every now and then. That's it.
     
    - We've been through this before. It wasn't even a point; it was a few millimetres here and against Burnley (which decided the league). The situation is what it is, and we can't do anything about it. What is required of us is basically perfection. To win seven games in a row in the Premier League is crazy.
  • You know what I was thinking about after this? It wasn’t how bad we were in the first half. It wasn’t how we bravely came back in the second half. It wasn’t even anything about this game. I just thought about that fucking stupid, inexcusable loss at Leicester a few months ago, and how that has completely skewed things to the point that a draw away at City now probably isn’t really good enough.
     
    I know we’ve dropped other points this season and some of you will look at Brentford away or Brighton at home. That’s fair enough, but to me those are just results that can happen throughout a season. The Leicester one just can’t happen though. Not when you’ve got literally everything stacked in your favour. Even if we’d drawn that game we’d be top right now. But we didn’t, we lost. And the consequence of that was we needed to go and win at City. And we never fucking win at City.
     
    In the end the draw is probably not going to be enough for us, but it’s probably a result we should be quite thankful for based on how the game went. We were lucky not to be down by three or four at half time because we were shambolic at times in that first half. It wasn’t all bad and there were spells in which we did quite well, but mostly it was a mess.
     
    The second half was much better and we probably shaded it, even if City still had the better chances. The performance from us was good and the character of the players is commendable, because at half time we looked in big trouble. I’d have snatched your hand off for a draw at half time because, if I’m being totally honest, I thought 4-1 or 5-1 was more likely than us getting something. As it turned out, I sold the lads short there.
     
    I’m appalled though that we did that thing so many shit teams do and allowed City to score inside the first five minutes. It’s rule number one when you play them. You just can’t do that, but we did. And although the goal was a fluke we can’t complain too much because we would have conceded even earlier but for a brilliant save by Alisson from Sterling.
     
    That doesn’t mean I have no complaints about the goal, because I do. And it’s more about the officiating than our defending. Firstly, and this is not the fault of the linesman but more the shitty changes they’ve made to the rules, there was an offside that wasn’t given in the lead up to the free kick that led to the goal.
     
    Sterling is miles offside and the ball is knocked up towards him. He doesn’t challenge for it, but him being there meant that Virgil had to head the ball clear because he can’t be sure Sterling is offside as he won’t know where the rest of the defensive line is. So I really don’t like that, but in fairness we would benefit from something similar on our first equaliser, which I’ll get to shortly.
     
    So the ball is headed clear and there’s a foul by Fabinho, who was miles off the pace for the entire first half. City took a quick free-kick, about six yards away from where the foul took place. Should that have been pulled back? Probably yeah, but I also feel that the attacking team should get some leeway in those circumstances. Six yeards of leeway? Not sure.
     
    That advantage meant that De Bruyne had the ball on the edge of our box before we were in any kind of position to deal with him. His shot took a wicked deflection of Matip and left Alisson with no chance. Proper fucking spawn shit, and not for the first time as he did the same thing at Anfield earlier in the season. The net result of it was that we’d done the one thing you can’t fucking do against these pricks - concede early.
     
    Thankfully their lead didn’t last long. We’d had a good couple of minutes where it felt as though we’d weathered the storm and were coming back into it, and then just like that we were level. Great move it was too. Starting with Thiago who shimmed away from a couple of opponents on halfway and then pinged a glorious ball out to Trent. He picked out Mo, and then I’m not sure if he was trying to find Sadio (who was miles offside) or Jota (who was running from deep). Either way, a defender got there first and headed clear but only as far as Robbo.
     
    He stood one up to the back post where Trent arrived and showed fantastic awareness to cushion the ball back to Jota for a simple finish. Keeper probably could have done better with that but who cares. I’m not comfortable about that being given as a goal because Mané is clearly offside and it looks like the ball was aimed at him, but that’s how the game is these days. I think it’s poorer as a result, but if I had my way there’d be less goals as neither of the first two goals in this game would have stood.
     
    I had hoped that the equaliser would deflate City and give us momentum, but it didn’t really. I think most of our problems were self inflicted, but that’s also doing City a dis-service because some of the things they did were brilliant. Not spectacularly brilliant, but there was just an efficiency and great skill in how they kept beating our high line over and over.
     
    That being said, the bigger problem for us was we kept trying to play out from the back and their high press kept catching us out. They did to us what we usually do to our opponents. Not only were they pressing well, but they were far more direct than usual. Again, that’s what we usually do. Quick passes in for runners in behind.
     
    It’s not City’s usual style but then they’ve changed massively how they play against us. We kept taking them to the cleaners and Guardiola has freely admitted that he’s spent countless hours thinking about how to beat us. Those hours have been well spent because their record against us in recent seasons is good, and even though they haven’t beaten us this season (not yet anyway, I fear the worst for this weekend though) the results aren’t really indicative of how those games have gone. 
     
    It’s been really disheartening to me to see how they’ve been able to play against us in both games, and really they should have won both games based on how they played. Our first half display had me tearing my fucking hair out. Time and again we tried to pass it around at the back, but Alisson, Trent, Fabinho and even Matip on a couple of occasions just seemed flustered and kept giving it away.
     
    It was doing my fucking head in, because when we did get it forward I thought Ederson and his defenders looked ropey as fuck. What I would have liked to see us do is completely sack off that passing it out from the back and just bypass their press and back our forwards to win enough one v one battles to cause them problems. 
     
    I know this is how we play and that Klopp wants us to play our football and that approach clearly works against every other team in the league. It hasn’t worked against City for a few years now though. City completely changed their normal approach against us because it wasn’t working, and to me it now looks like they’ve got our number, even if a pair of 2-2 draws would suggest otherwise. The eye test concerns me because it feels like they’ve outplayed us twice now and we’ve been lucky they didn’t spank us.
     
    We could easily have conceded four or five in the first half and we’re fortunate it was only the two. The second goal was shite from our point of view but once against highlights what City did to us that no-one else has been able to.
     
    For all the talk of our high line and how ‘risky’ it is, hardly anyone has been able to exploit it. I’m not entirely sure why everyone always runs offside against us because it’s honestly not THAT difficult to time a run so that you stay onside, but whatever the reason, hardly anyone seems to be able to do it. Then City come along and their players were doing it constantly.
     
    So many times I was yelling for offside only to see the replay and realise they were on. Even on those free-kicks when we ALWAYS catch the opposition offside they were continually timing their runs so they were onside, and they should have scored from one of those when Rodri stole in at the back post but put too much on his header across goal that would have led to a tap in for (I think) Laporte.
     
    We were riding our luck while offering precious little at the other end. Mo was a non-factor, Sadio couldn’t even stand up and kept slipping over, while Jota did fuck all aside from the goal. He wasted the only other decent opening we had too when he took too long to get his shot away and allowed Laporte to get back and made a spawn challenge. I’m not sure if Jota was wanting to win a pen there or not but the hesitation proved fatal as the chance was gone.
     
    City were threatening regularly and eventually made it count when Jesus beat Alisson to the ball and finished really well. I thought he was offside, as we’ve seen that movie so many times this season. I just expected VAR to bail us out but no, Jesus had times his run well and Matip had not got out quick enough. Trent had just about got out quickly enough but had ambled out while everyone else sprinted.
     
    Again, there were four City players miles offside but because the ball didn’t go to them under the modern rules that doesn’t matter. Jesus ran from deep and that caught us out. This hardly ever happens to us but it seems clear that City have worked hard on timing their runs. If you get that right, then we’re fucked. It’s worked so well because hardly anyone seems capable of getting it right. City did though. 
     
    It was just a sickening goal to concede, but then every goal against them is sickening because of how hard it is to claw it back. I just hate playing them, there’s very little joy in it even when we’re playing well because the tension is unbearable as the stakes are nearly always so high. This was a horrible experience. Saturday will be too, but to a slightly lesser degree because the FA Cup isn’t as important as the title. It’s still really fucking important like and I’m not diminishing how big that game is, just saying that there isn’t quite as much riding on it.
     
    Then again, if one of City’s seven remaining opponents can do something against them that changes the importance of this result and could in fact make it a massive point for us. I feel as though it is anyway. It’s not the result I wanted, but coming from behind twice and getting a draw in a game in which we were second best for the majority of it is not something we can complain about. It’s arguably a better point for us than them even though the point is more beneficial to them than us, if that makes sense.
     
    What I mean is, if I’m Guardiola I’m frustrated as fuck that my team didn’t win this game and put us out of the picture completely. The point keeps their fate in their own hands, which is obviously good for them, but it also means we’re still right there breathing down their necks waiting for any slip up. If they’d taken their chances and beaten us, the title race would be over. They didn’t, and it isn’t.
     
    My half time team talk would have been to lay into them and basically say “That was fucking shit. sStop fucking about and get it to Sadio and Mo early. Get them turned around and play the game in their half. Now get out of my sight”.
     
    Thankfully I”m not in charge and we have someone who actually knows what he’s talking about and, more importantly, knows how to get the right response from his players. Apparently Klopp’s team talk wasn’t about the things we were doing wrong, it was more about highlighting and what we did well and encouraging them to do that more.
     
    Within a minute of the restart it had paid off as we were level. Great goal too. Hendo’s part in it shouldn’t be overlooked. Firstly he was in a good position to back up the play and pick up the second ball after Trent challenged for a header. Then, and this is the crucial bit, he was aware enough to see that Salah was a yard offside and he didn’t play that obvious pass to him. Instead he gave it Trent. He then gave it to Mo who then picked out a beautiful pass to Sadio who had stolen in behind Walker. What a fucking finish too.
     
    Sadio couldn’t do a thing right in the first half but it’s a mark of the man that when he was presented with an opportunity like that he was able to put it away so emphatically. He was phenomenal in the second half, but then everyone (ok, not quite everyone *glares at Jota*) upped their level I thought. For a little ten minute spell after that goal we really had City on the ropes but we couldn’t land the knockout punch. 
     
    The closest we came was a Jota snapshot that Ederson saved. Mo had an effort that was heading for the far corner until it deflected inches wide off the thigh of Stones. We didn’t even get a corner for that, even though there was a VAR check for handball! I can forgive Taylor missing it because sometimes from the angle you’re looking at it you can’t always see a deflection. That’s where he needs help from the other officials. There’s no way that they all missed it, but none of them thought to tell him he’d fucked up.
     
    I’d been worried about him before the game, and also Tierney on VAR. As it turned out, they were fine. In fact, they had opportunities to screw us over if they’d wanted to, but they chose not to. Thiago and Fabinho between them could have had five or six yellow cards, and on another day Fabinho might have seen red for a studs up challenge that got Bernardo just above the ankle. I’m not saying that should have been a red, but there’s probably a 50-50 chance that you will get sent off for that. 
     
    I have no complaints about Taylor or Tierney, and I’d even go as far as to say I think Taylor did pretty damn well considering the high stakes of the game and the pressure involved. He tried to let it flow and he only produced cards when it was absolutely necessary. Much as I don’t like him, there are a number of refs who I’d much rather be kept away from our games than him.
     
    As I said though, we just couldn’t take advantage of that good spell we had and it kind of fizzled out. We weren’t helped by Jota though. Fuck me he was terrible. He just kept passing the ball straight to City players and putting us on the back foot. I’d have hooked him a good ten minutes before he eventually made way for Diaz. 
     
    It could just as easily have been Firmino who got the nod but I can see the attraction in the Diaz choice, not least because it allowed Sadio to be more influential by playing in the centre where there was more space and he wasn’t having to constantly run against the fastest player in the league.
     
    Diaz didn’t really do much though and with the benefit of hindsight I might have gone with Bobby instead. He did eventually get on for the last five minutes or so. Naby got a run out as well, as he replaced Hendo for the last 15. Not sure I agreed with that one. Thiago was a more obvious choice to go off as he looked like he was going to get sent off. Fabinho too for that matter. 
     
    While I felt that we had more control of the game in the second half and looked the more likely winner, the best chances still fell to City. The difference between this and the first half was that their chances didn’t come because they had us under pressure. I didn’t really feel we were under much pressure after the break but they still carried a threat, mainly because of that fucking De Bruyne.
     
    He’s the only City player I have any time for, but if I’m being completely honest I still don’t like the cunt. He seems like a top lad, he’s never been anything other than complimentary and respectful about our team and the fans, but I don’t like him and it’s completely because he’s so fucking good and he plays for them. There’s nothing bad I can say about the guy, but he’s fucking brilliant and he hurts us whenever we face him. So he can fuck right off.
     
    The biggest moment of the second half was definitely the disallowed Sterling goal. I thought it was miles offside but because the linesman didn’t flag I was fearing the worst. They usually get those right so I knew it must have been really tight. And it was, but he was just offside because he was leaning forward and was just ahead of the heel of the last defender (Matip once again).
     
    What I didn’t like about that though was Jesus was fucking miles off and it looks to me like that’s who De Bruyne was playing it to. Maybe he was picking out Sterling, but it looks to me as though he’s playing that ball for Jesus who is off. So our defenders are paying more attention to him than Sterling, but then Jesus stops and lets Sterling run onto the ball.
     
    So again, correct decision under the modern laws to not flag Jesus off, but I still hate that as morally it’s offside to me.
     
    Thankfully Sterling was just off and we did not have to summon up a third equaliser. I suspect that would have been beyond us but who knows. 
     
    My gut feeling was that might be a pivotal moment in the game and that if anyone was going to win it, it would be us. We just didn’t really create enough though despite having good possession in their half, and then right at the end we almost got done.
     
    Proper heart in mouth shit that was. Once again, De Bruyne split the defence with a brilliant ball that sent Mahrez clear. He cut inside onto his left foot and with Alisson having come flying out to try and put him off, Mahrez attempted to chip him. Good decision and if he’d been able to execute that it would have been a certain goal.
     
    The ball went sailing over the bar and initially I thought he’d just overcooked the chip. Turns out that Matip got something on it and that proved to be a goal saving block from him.
     
    So in the end, honours even and only time will tell if it’s a good result or not. If City win out then obviously this might be seen as a missed opportunity, but can we really say that? We can’t expect to go there and win and ordinarily a draw here is sound. But that fucking Leicester game….
      
    Anyway, as I say, let’s see how the final games play out. I’m just glad we didn’t lose this because we probably should have. I am a bit disheartened by the way we don’t seem to really be able to hurt City the way we could a few years back when we’d have those explosive spells where we could blow them away. That hasn’t happened for ages now.
     
    Something else that I want to address is that twat Martin Tyler. Honesty, I know everyone goes on about him but he’s getting worse. It isn’t deliberate and I don’t even think it’s a conscious thing. You can’t really fake what he’s doing, it’s just his natural emotion and reaction to things that gives away just how much he’s wanting us to lose. I’m not saying it’s always been like that, it hasn’t. “Collymore closing iiiiiinnnnnnnnn” was an iconic bit of commentary that did the moment justice.
     
    In recent years though his agenda has become glaringly obvious. The excitement in his voice when the opposition have a chance or score. The indifference when it’s us. There were so many examples of it in this game but the one moment that stood out was when the ball fell to Grealish in our box. Not in an especially threatening position mind, but Tyler sounded like he was about to go into a full orgasm as he yelled “GREALISH!!!!” before absolutely fuck all came of it. As I say, that’s pure, natural, instinct. He doesn’t do it deliberately but it absolutely betrays the emotion he’s feeling.
     
    Quite why anyone would be rooting for them cheating cunts is absolutely beyond me, but Tyler was absolutely hoping for a City win there. The sooner he retires the better, he’s so bad he’s got me pining for that old goat Motson.
     
    Anyway, the result means it’s advantage City now. They’ll probably win every game now because they’ve done it before and there are only really two games where they might encounter any sort of resistance. West Ham and Wolves could give them some problems, but no-one else will. Some will look to the romance aspect of Stevie denying them on the last day to hand the title to us, but there’s one major stumbling block there. Aston Villa are fucking shit, and even if they weren’t, I find that “never, EVER, rely on Aston Villa for anything” is a smart policy to live one’s life by.
     
    So all we can do is try to win our games and then hope for the best. In the meantime we have what should be a routine second leg against Benfica and then we have to do it all over again with City next weekend. Will that be more of the same or will things be different this time? They’ve got a tougher midweek test than us so that helps, but I fear that if we try to play them the same way we have the last few times then we’re in trouble, because they’ve got the answer to it now. So, basically we need to come up with a different question.
     
    Star man is… fuck, I don’t even know. I thought Thiago was our best player in the first half but then he was lucky to not get sent off in a somewhat erratic second half. Sadio was horrendous in the first half but brilliant in the second. Matip and Van Dijk were probably our most dependable over the course of the whole game but neither were faultless. If pushed I’d go with Virgil but I don’t feel especially strongly about it.
     
     
    Team: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson (Keita), Thiago; Salah, Jota (Diaz), Mané (Firmino):
     
  • It's as you were in the title race as the Reds were unable to close the gap on leaders City and needed to twice come from behind to even secure a draw.
     
    Chris Smith is joined by Julian Richards and TLW Editor Dave Usher to discuss the game and the implications of the result on the rest of the season. Do we need to change our approach against City now? Can we win out and even if we can, will it be enough?
     
     
  • Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola have once again lavished each other in praise ahead of a potential title showdown at the Etihad stadium tomorrow afternoon.
     
    The Premier League has seen many rivalries between sets of managers and playing squads which have become legendary over time.
     
    But while the battle for the top title in English Football is no less fierce as it was back in the 90s and 2000s, a deal of mutual respect has replaced the angst and barbs that have gone before and it is pleasing to see that the headlines come from what actually takes place on the pitch. 
     
    Liverpool and City arguably played out one of the most captivating games of the season to date at Anfield in October when the visitors were by and large the better side on the day but needed a Kevin De Bruyne equaliser ten minutes from time to get a share of the points. 
     
    That was five minutes after Mo Salah rocked the foundations of the iconic stadium with a spellbinding bit of skill that sits comfortably amongst the most memorable moments in modern Premier League history.
     

     
    Speaking ahead of what shapes as another momentous contest with much on the line as we approach the final stretch of the season, Klopp cited another one of sports greatest rivalries as he was in awe in what these teams produce season upon season and how it has made Liverpool better.
     
    The Mirror reported Klopp as saying:
     
    “Yes! The consistency both teams have shown over the period is crazy. We know it's tough. What has changed in the four years is everybody else thinks it's tough.
     
    "In sport, I think what helps the most is a strong opponent. In the long term, especially. I think (Rafael) Nadal and (Roger) Federer enjoyed the rivalry they had. 
     
    "That's how it is in sport. I wouldn't say I'm thankful City is that good, but it didn't harm our development."
     
    The German also paid his counterpart the highest complement, but just perhaps it was his way of catching Guardiola off guard.
     
    "Pep is the best coach in the world and we all would agree on that. If anybody doubts him, I have no idea how that could happen." 
     

     
    The Spaniard however was having none of it. “I'm not the best. Thank you, but I'm no.
     
    “I would like to tell you here that I'm the best, but I'm not. I didn't become a manager to be the best. If I had success, as I have said many times it is because I was with my staff with incredible teams, with a lot of money like all the opponents like to hear.
     
    It was Guardiola’s turn to return serve in the mutual love fest and said that Klopp is his greatest rival in Football ahead of Jose Mourinho simply for the fact that they have met many more times in across Germany and now in England and how barely anything separates them.
     
    “I think Jurgen makes world football a better place to live.
     
    “We play many times, more times,". "Jose [Mourinho] is an exciting manager and we had the rivalry in Barcelona.
     
    “In five years here we have played many times, and all the times we were close. I faced in Munich with Jurgen.
     

     
    "How we set up the teams here we were close many times. Every season except the year we got 100 points and the year they got 99 we were tight. I will remember by period here, when I'm watching and playing golf, I’ll remember my biggest rivals as Liverpool. Absolutely we wouldn’t be as good but for them, after 100 points, 98 you need someone to push them."
     
    “The credit I give to both teams is the consistency through the years, it's not just winning one title. This is the most difficult thing in sport and that's why Federer, Nadal and Djokovic and athletes around the world, when they are there every year – chapeau - that makes me the most proud.”
     
    These pleasantaries will count for nought come 4.30pm tomorrow when both these combatants are locking horns battling for three vital points.
     
    Remember the days when we as fans looked on in envy as Arsenal and Man United fought for the top prize.
     
    This has undoubtedly gone beyond that battle for ultimate supremacy.
     
    While we unquestionably want to get one over City at any opportunity when this era is over, we will look back and think how lucky we were to witness and be a part of what is a remarkable rivalry, quite possibly the greatest that club football has ever seen.
     
     
  • The true beauty of Football is that it often has a number of ‘what if’ moments. 
     
    What if Luis Garcia’s goal in the 2005 Champions League semi final was deemed to have not crossed the line, would the miracle of Istanbul have happened?
     
    If Stevie hadn’t had not slipped in 2014, would the league title drought have ended a fair bit sooner than what it did?
     
    Indeed, if Liverpool managed to hang on for that triumph, would there even be an Jurgen Klopp era, or would have Brendan Rodgers have had a distinguished tenure?
     
    We as Football fans, often love to reminisce and think of these "what if" moments be they remembered fondly or with despair as it makes the game as wonderfully unique as it is.
     
    The same thoughts would naturally come into a mind of a player,
     
    An untimely injury cutting short a career, a transfer that happened and didn’t work out, or one that could have gone ahead but for whatever reason did not.
     
    Mario Gotze certainly fits into that latter category.
     
    The German international had lived the football dream by the age of 22, winning three league titles (two with Borussia Dortmund and one with Bayern Munich), a Champions League (with Bayern) and scoring the winning goal for your nation in the final of the World Cup.
     

     
    The great majority of footballers past and present would be delighted with a career such as that but instead of being able to build on that momentum and take his star to another level, in his prime years Gotze suffered from a metabolic disorder which was later found out to be myopathy,  a muscular disorder which affects the fibres in the muscles, meaning they do not function correctly.
     
    It was a cruel setback, and at a time where he was weighing up career options after leaving Bayern for a fresh start, his first senior coach in Jurgen Klopp who he had a great deal of success with at Dortmund came knocking and asked whether he would be interested in joining his Reds revolution.
     
    It is a discussion the versatile attacking player who is now 29 and playing his football with PSV reflected on per the Mail.
     

     
    "We spoke back then about me coming to Liverpool.
     
    ‘But I wasn’t in a state of mind where I could consider it, that’s why it didn’t happen.
     
    ‘Do I regret it? It’s always difficult to look back but if you ask me now then yeah, I should have joined Liverpool for sure. I just made a wrong decision but it’s not a regret.
     
    Gotze reflected on his four seasons under his fellow German and like many have said before, he is someone who makes you a better player and person.
     
    ‘Klopp probably made the biggest impact on my career. He can be very demanding – he can be your friend but also very harsh at the same time. It pushes you to great performances. That’s what happened with me back then, and it’s happened with Liverpool now.
     

     
    ‘He is a manager not just for the players but everyone at the club, and then one-on-one he can be a friend as well as a boss. Can I imagine working with him again? I can imagine that, yes – we’ll see.
     
    ‘He’s a good coach, for sure.
     
    Gotze has had the honour of playing for the the two pre-eminent managers in Workd Football at this point of time in Klopp and Pep Guardiola.
     
    And he gave an interesting insight into the personalities of both men.
     
    "Klopp’s strength is speaking to players in a certain way, helping them.
     
    But if you meet Pep off the field he’s a great guy. You can speak to him about family, private stuff, so he’s a great person.
     
    'If you play in his team he is very demanding. That’s a good thing because he’s pushing you a lot but sometimes you need a different angle as a player.
     

     
    Back then, though, I was used to Klopp and this was my comparison. When I look now, I like what Pep does – being distant sometimes, keeping high-performing athletes together. Maybe I would do it the same way.
     
    ‘The title race in England this season is great to watch. It looked very different a few months ago but I believe in the end City will do it. That is my guess.’
     
     
     
     
     
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