ANFIELD OR THE ETIHAD? LIVERPOOL FANS WON’T CARE WHERE THEY WIN IT…
WHERE would Liverpool prefer to be confirmed as champions? That was the debate in the days leading up to the Premier League season’s suspension. At the time Jurgen Klopp’s side had three possibilities: to win it at Anfield, Goodison Park or the Etihad Stadium. Would you want to win the title at home? Or at the ground of your local rivals? Or by striking a heavy blow to the team whose trophy you’re taking? I experienced all three of those as a player. Each of my Premier League titles with Arsenal were confirmed at different venues: 1998 was at Highbury, 2002 was at Old Trafford and 2004 was at White Hart Lane. That last one gave us the ultimate opportunity for bragging rights. Spurs did their best to stop us, coming back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2. But that was enough to see us crowned champions and maintain our unbeaten run, en route to becoming the Invincibles. I remember how we were told not to celebrate because there were concerns about us antagonising the home crowd. We did anyway, of course, especially after seeing how they celebrated their late equaliser. The away dressing room at Spurs wasn’t the biggest but they could have put us in a broom cupboard and we would have still been bouncing. Unfortunately for Liverpool — and fortunately for my old club Everton — there will be no champagne corks hitting the ceiling at Goodison tomorrow night. Manchester City’s midweek win over Arsenal made sure of that, killing any hopes that Klopp and his team may have had of being crowned champions there tomorrow. Liverpool will be determined to win at Goodison nonetheless to give themselves the chance of clinching the title at Anfield on Wednesday. But if they cannot do that, and depending on how City fare in other fixtures, then all eyes may be on their trip to the Etihad. I’m sure most Liverpool supporters will tell you they don’t care where they win it — in Liverpool, Manchester, wherever. They’ve waited 30 years for this and have spent the last few months wondering whether they will even get to finish this season. But for the neutrals, the thought of Liverpool going to City knowing a win would clinch them the title is a thrilling prospect. It would be Liverpool’s chance to drive home their dominance against a club who picked up a remarkable 198 points over two Premier League
seasons before this one. They could confirm themselves as the top dogs, and that is a contest I know I would like to see. Manchester United against Arsenal used to be the Premier League’s big rivalry, and May 8, 2002 at Old Trafford was special. Teams weren’t supposed to win there, let alone win the title. But we did both that day. Now the biggest rivalry is between City and Liverpool. Klopp may hope they wrap it up as soon as possible but an Etihad showdown would excite the neutrals.
P.S LIVERPOOL have the chance to match Sunderland in 1891-92 as the only top-flight team to to win all of their home games in a season.