The changing of the guard could not be more symbolic: outgoing Premier League champion Manchester City may form a guard of honor for successor Liverpool on Thursday 2 July, which took place for the first time since the introduction of the Premier League – in 1992 (!) – until the has crowned the best of England. The first league title in thirty years and probably not the last, Everton and Manchester United icon Wayne Rooney recently predicted with a heavy heart. How did the already legendary championship team come about? VoetbalPrimeur goes back to October 8, 2015.
At the time, proud Liverpool was a club in mourning. During the 2013/2014 season it finally seemed to happen again: Steven Gerrard slipped against Chelsea and Liverpool gave away a 0-3 lead at Crystal Palace. The Reds ended up two points short and Manchester City took the title. The following year they finished only sixth, at 25 points from champion Chelsea. Gerrard waved goodbye on the last day, after seventeen years of loyal service, with a shocking 6-1 defeat at Stoke City, which was no longer recovering in the dressing room.
2015/2016
The following season, Liverpool finished in 10th place after eight rounds: Brendan Rodgers was thanked for services rendered, Jürgen Klopp became his successor. The German had made his own name at FSV Mainz 05 and Borussia Dortmund and promised a league title within four years. At that time he already had players like Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren, Divock Origi, James Milner, Roberto Firmino in Joe Gomez at its disposal.
In the Premier League it became nothing more – place 8, the lowest final ranking of this century – but Klopp and his team did reach the Europa League final. It was lost to record champion Sevilla, but this campaign will mainly be remembered because of the legendary 4-3 victory over Borussia Dortmund. Anfield swirled as usual and more magical European evenings would follow.
2016/2017
That was not the case during the following season: Liverpool was not active in Europe and could focus on the domestic competitions. That did it with Sadio Mané in Georginio Wijnaldum – picked up by regular trading partner Southampton and relegated Newcastle United – as top purchases, while goalkeeper Loris Karius (FSV Mainz 05) and old Eredivisie-known Ragnar Klavan (FC Augsburg) came to strengthen the ranks. Liverpool did not come close to champion Chelsea (76 points at 93), but finished fourth and at least got back into the Champions League preliminaries.
2017/2018
The European season started on August 15 with playoffs against Hoffenheim and ended on May 26 with the final against Real Madrid. That lost final battle in Kiev will remain forever connected to Karius, in a negative sense. In the home country things went less smoothly: the league start was mediocre – with a 5-0 loss against Manchester City and a 4-1 against Tottenham Hotspur – and the league title was never taken seriously. In the end, Liverpool finished fourth, 25 points from the unapproachable Manchester City.
Later in the season, those were the same Citizens treated to a nice 4-3 defeat and bowled out of the Champions League by Liverpool. Summer gain Mohamed Salah turned out to be a sensation with no less than 32 competition goals. Also left back Andy Robertson – downgraded the previous season with Hull City – developed spectacularly. At the turn of the year, Philippe Coutinho was sold to FC Barcelona for almost 150 million euros (!): Part of that proceeds went to old acquaintance Southampton and Virgil van Dijk became the most expensive defender ever. The later championship team started to take shape.
2018/2019
Klopp had a team that could finally make another attempt at domestic power, after refreshing the team in one crucial position. Karius had officially thrown his very last Liverpool minutes in Kiev: AS Roma received a new visit and after Salah also a goalkeeper Alisson Becker to Liverpool. Furthermore, Naby Keïta (RB Leipzig) and Fabinho (AS Monaco) for a total of 105 million euros to Anfield: they had to provide more breadth in midfield.
Liverpool had the best Premier League season in ages and only lost once in 38 games. That one defeat against reigning champion Manchester City turned out to be an expensive one: The Reds the insane total of 97 points was not enough, Pep Guardiola and his colleagues got one more point and again won the league title.
Then the Champions League: Liverpool lost in the group stage to Paris Saint-Germain, Napoli and Partizan Belgrade and went to the knockout stage with their heels over the ditch. It was convincingly settled with Bayern Munich and FC Porto, after which the historic diptych with FC Barcelona followed: 3-0 in Camp Nou, 4-0 (!) At Anfield and the most beautiful You’ll Never Walk Alone performance ever. The final against Tottenham Hotspur was a lot less sparkling, but Liverpool – with an excellent Alisson – could call itself the best team in Europe.
2019/2020
New round, new opportunities: 69 days after the final battle in Madrid, the new Premier League season started again. The played-in football machine from Klopp did not need any major purchases and happily continued where it left off: Liverpool opened with a 4-1 win over Norwich City and first had to tolerate Manchester City and Manchester United on goal difference. In the second round, the lead was taken after a 1-2 victory The Saints from Southampton and there was no stopping it. The harvest after 27 rounds: 26 (!) Wins and one draw against Manchester United.
Low-flying Watford torpedoed Liverpool’s unbeaten status on leap day, but the title race had already started. After the outbreak of the corona virus, there were a few other priorities, but the season was ‘just’ finished and the red part of Liverpool could still celebrate: Liverpool put itself on power with a 4-0 win at Crystal Palace and was allowed to watch Thursday Chelsea finished the job against Manchester City, the only remaining ‘competitor’.
And then Liverpool was the best in England for the first time since 1990. But how will this story end? Rooney, mentioned earlier, had to make a painful prediction. “My wife, my father-in-law and all my brothers-in-law are Reds. For years they had to watch how I won titles with Manchester United. I’m afraid it’s my turn to suffer now, “he wrote in his column The Times. He could just be right, because Liverpool can still go on for years with this championship team: the core consists of late twenties, players in the power of their lives, who will be fixed for years. England is not yet from Liverpool!
(Hein Nooijens / VoetbalPrimeur)
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