Win lose or draw, Jurgen Klopp reckons this season has gone better than anyone could have expected, as Rich Jolly relays to us here.
Jürgen Klopp feels his reign at Liverpool has gone better than even an optimist like him could have expected. “I don’t think I would have believed it but I am not a very negative person,” the manager said. “I would not have thought it was possible being three times in a European final and twice in a Champions League final. That is something nobody could have said four years ago. That is really special.”
Daniel Taylor’s column this week ponders the question: if this Liverpool team can’t beat the money and skill of Manchester City, who can?
In the Observer today, there have been the fans’ verdicts from the season about to end, in two parts. Happily, because of the alphabet, Liverpool and Wolves are in the same part, here.
Here’s Jurgen Klopp: “All of them. It’s a long season. It you felt extremely fresh that would not be normal. We have to fight, we have to create, because Wolves are so good. They play different to every other team in the Premier League. Everyone talks about the City game, the final day, but we have to win the game.”
He also says he won’t be tracking events in Brighton. And if you believe that, I would like to introduce myself, the Wallet Inspector. Won’t take long…
Richard South has an email about the toughness of Liverpool’s task this season: “Any thoughts on Liverpool’s task being made harder by having intense rivalries with other clubs, more so than City? Not sure if this is a valid theory, but am thinking of the dropped points in the away games to Man Utd and Everton, both of whom they’re currently markedly better sides than. The way Utd in particular (both team and crowd) galvanized themselves to grind out a draw against Liverpool seemed very different to their fairly meek performance against City a few weeks ago. There’s also more recent history / rivalry with Chelsea too (more dropped points, away) whereas it seems like no one – as in other teams/fans – is really too bothered if City win the title again. Having said that, it’d be sensational if Brighton can pull off a performance to match West Ham vs Utd in 1995; where’s Ludek Miklosko when you need him?!”
The headlines there: Mo Salah returns, Andrew Robertson is fine despite having to go off at half-time against Barcelona, still no Roberto Firmino, Joel Matip gets the nod alongside Virgil van Dijk, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain returns to the bench. No surprises for Wolves: you could probably name their starting XI in your sleep.
Team news
Liverpool
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, Matip, Robertson; Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Henderson; Salah, Origi, Mane. Subs: Mignolet, Lovren, Milner, Gomez, Sturridge, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Shaqiri.
Wolves
Patricio; Boly, Bennett, Coady; Doherty, Dendoncker, Moutinho, Neves, Johnny; Jota, Jimenez. Subs: Ruddy, Cavaleiro, Costa, Gibbs-White, Vinagre, Traore, Kilman.
Rob Smyth has you covered for the other big one today: follow Brighton v Manchester City here.
…while Daniel Harris is mopping up the other eight games, here.
While we’re here, can we lay down some language rules for after the game? If Liverpool win today but still don’t win the title, let’s not call them chokers. The line that they had a seven point lead at one stage and have ‘blown’ it sounds dramatic, but that was in January and since then Liverpool have been superb. It’s just that Manchester City have been flawless. Liverpool haven’t lost a league game since January 3, but they have committed the heinous sin of drawing four times. Usually that wouldn’t even be classed as a blip, but usually we haven’t seen a team like City.
HOWEVER, should City slip up at Brighton and Liverpool THEN – and ONLY THEN – don’t win here, MAYBE we can talk about bottle jobs, choking, and so forth. MAYBE. But even then, probably not.
Simon Barnes, former chief sports writer of the Times, was often fond of referencing the 1999 Wimbledon final between Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. ‘Agassi was brilliant in that final,’ Barnes wrote. ‘He played as his best throughout. he played tennis of sublime and utterly convincing quality. But Sampras had a strategy for this. He raised his own game from brilliant to perfect, and won in straight sets.’ That’s basically been this Premier League season.
And, with Liverpool obviously being Agassi in this scenario, we can’t really blame them too much for not keeping up with perfection. Just because you lose, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve done something wrong.
Preamble
Here we are, then. Odd as it sounds, it is a little tricky to work out if this has been a good title race. It’s been relentless, it’s seen two teams of absurd quality outstrip the rest of the division to a comical degree, and their quality has been something to admire.
But doesn’t a truly great title race need some peril? Some drama? There’s been a little of that within each individual game, but neither of this pair has so much as dropped a point since March 3. Since then they’ve played 16 games between them and have only even been behind for a total of 40 minutes. Where’s the to and fro? Where’s the defeat, despair and redemption? The tension has come from wondering if these two can keep up this ridiculous pace and standard but can we – and by ‘we’ I mean neutrals here – really get that emotionally involved in what amounts to a pair of processions?
However, will that all come today? Will there be a twist at the last? Is this Premier League season going to be directed by M Night Shyamalan, the rug pulled from us at the very last, something unexpected slapping us in the face? It might, you know. It just might.
The permutations are simple, and you’ll know them, but let’s lay them out anyway. If City beat Brighton, they’re champions. But if they don’t, and Liverpool win, the title goes to Anfield. If City lose and Liverpool draw then they will both have 95 points, but City’s goal difference will give them the edge. Although if City lose 4-0 and Liverpool draw 4-4, then the teams will finish level on points, goal difference and goals scored, which will necessitate a one game play-off. Now THAT would be dramatic, but obviously bloody unlikely: 63,000-1 unlikely, in fact.
It all ends today. For all my complaints about this not actually being tense this has been a hell of a season. We’ll miss it when it’s gone.
Kick-off: 3pm BST.
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