Much was anticipated when Jürgen Klopp arrived on Merseyside in October 2015. His brand of ‘heavy metal football’ didn’t increase the crowd decibel levels as much as expected in the first couple of years, but now ear protectors are a useful accessory. That’s because, with their win in last season’s Champions League final, Liverpool became kings of Europe again. Although that game saw a rush of sports gambling in Colorado, the rush was even greater for the club.
After beating Tottenham and conquering the continent for the sixth time, this was a club that couldn’t simply rest on its laurels. After their displays in this season’s Premier League, they have gone on to an even higher level of performance.
Bar the slip up against Watford at the end of February, this team has blown everyone away. Whether that be opposition players on the pitch or rival supporters left agog either at home or in attendance – Liverpool has left them all speechless.
This isn’t just a team that has topped the league and will rightfully go on to be the Premier League champions. It is a unit that, at the time of writing, has a margin of 25 points over its nearest rival – a rival that won the league with 98 of their own last time out.
Manchester City was the arch-nemesis of Jürgen Klopp and his cabal of stars last season, now that nemesis has been crushed. You wonder, therefore, if the Etihad outfit in their current state may finally be at the end of a footballing life cycle.
However, this isn’t about what Pep Guardiola can do, because whatever he can do, Jürgen Klopp has arguably done it better. When you consider that he had overseen just two Premier League defeats in 67 attempts, it is a phenomenal effort from all involved.
Of course, any manager can only do so much and ultimately must rely on their message being carried out to the letter each weekend. Thankfully for Liverpool, nothing has been lost in translation over the past year or two.
After missing out on a first Premier League title and in painful circumstances, some questioned whether the Merseysiders could lift themselves and do it all over again throughout a nine-month campaign.
While it is fair to say that any naysayers have been left with egg on their faces because they not only managed to pick themselves up, they have battered teams into submission and not through brute force but more by sheer elegance.
With that said, Liverpool is not afraid to throw it about when needed. With Virgil van Dijk, the absolute bedrock of their defense, it gives both Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold the license and security to roam forward from wide positions at will.
Not only that, but when you look at the way these two play, they’ve almost become de facto wingers for Liverpool and especially on the right-hand side. Alexander-Arnold has provided no fewer than 12 league assists this season – the second-highest figure in the division.
When the England international is laying goals on a plate, it is usually Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané who are tucking into the feast. With them both pushing each other to be the absolute best, they act as two-thirds of an incredibly fearsome trio.
The other player to make up Liverpool’s attacking unit is perhaps overlooked in terms of accolades. In an era where everything is quantifiable, and players are compared by metrics alone, it is the things that don’t get picked up that Roberto Firmino does best.
Be the pass that starts the move or the feint which opens the space or the assist before the assist, the Brazilian’s style of play is fundamental to how the red juggernaut of Liverpool keeps its engine ticking at such high revs.
By comparison to both Salah and Mané, Firmino may have only scored eight league goals this season, but to look at tallies on the scoresheet alone would be doing the former Hoffenheim forward a considerable disservice.
You could even make a case that he has been the club’s most unsung hero this season. Then again, everyone has played their part in what has been an incredible story, and each member of the cast will eventually get their reward.
There may have been a considerable delay, and these are rather extenuating circumstances. Still, nothing will stop Liverpool from finally getting their hands on their first English league championship in 30 years. For all their supporters, it will undoubtedly be worth the agonizing wait.
