There are no party plans, insists Klopp
Jurgen Klopp claimed he would not be making any special plans to celebrate with his players in case Manchester City fail to delay Liverpool winning their first Premier League title tonight.
Liverpool’s superb 4-0 victory over Crystal Palace meant that City have to beat Chelsea to delay the crowning of Klopp’s team.
But the German is not planning any socially-distanced video parties and laughed off City manager Pep Guardiola’s claim that he could rest players for the Chelsea clash.
Asked how he will watch the game and whether or not plans will be made to celebrate in case Liverpool become champions, Klopp said: “I will watch it because I have to. We play City next and Chelsea later, so I have to watch it. I won’t watch the game to prepare to celebrate.”
On the subject of whether or not he and his players could be brought together by a video call at the end of the City game, Klopp added: “I am not involved in things like this. I watch the game to watch City and Chelsea, nothing to do with other things. I don’t plan things like that.”
Guardiola said earlier yesterday that he could rest key players against Chelsea ahead of the FA Cup tie against Newcastle United.
But Klopp said: “He said that? Pep should play poker probably. I couldn’t respect City more. We are different and we celebrate different things, me the counter-press and Pep likes other things. Different ways of football and I like them both.”
Goals from Trent AlexanderArnold, Mohamed Salah, Fabinho and Sadio Mane secured Liverpool’s victory, but Klopp was just as pleased with his team’s attitude.
“It was 4-0 in the 87th minute and there were four players chasing the poor Crystal Palace player,” said Klopp. “That was one of the best counter-pressing games behind closed doors ever. It was amazing.”
Liverpool prevented Palace from taking a touch in their penalty area for the first time since Opta started recording such statistics in 2008.
Klopp added: “You should not underestimate how much this team wants it. We have a common dream and we have to work for it. We also wanted to show our supporters the respect they deserve, that we can play like they are here when they are not here. We wished they could be with us and I missed them and the emotion that would have been in the stadium.”
Jurgen Klopp can almost see his reflection glistening in the Premier League trophy now. A performance of champions against Crystal Palace took Liverpool closer to the end of their 30-year crusade.
One more win will do it. One more failure by Manchester City will do it sooner.
This was as comprehensive a victory as Klopp’s side have enjoyed all season, a manifestation of everything great and good which built up such a formidable points advantage. How appropriate it will be if this is the performance that ends the wait.
The Kop can lament not being here to witness it, but listen hard and you would swear you could hear the rapturous applause from the neighbouring terraces as Sadio Mane picked his spot for Liverpool’s fourth midway through the second half.
A solitary firework in the skyline at half-time was the only nod to the ecstasy of the club’s global TV audience. Those supporters can start mapping out the route of the parade, even if they are not sure when it will be safe to hold it.
The match was a highlights package of Liverpool’s qualities this season. Trent Alexander-arnold, scorer of the first, again showed why describing him as a mere right-back is an insult; Mohamed Salah’s lethal finishing ensured possession was rewarded with attacking penetration; and Fabinho’s dominance of every blade of grass was a reminder that if it was not for an early-season injury, he would be a rival to his captain for Player of the Year.
Palace are not a bad side, but the early loss of Wilfried Zaha through injury left them feeling captive in their own half. For the first time since 2008, a side did not manage a touch in their opponent’s penalty area. This was as close to flawless as Klopp could have wished for.
Once Liverpool took the lead through Alexander-arnold’s 23rdminute free-kick, Palace had nothing to offer but a forlorn rearguard action. By the closing stages, Klopp was in the privileged position of being able to blood his youngsters.
The intensity of Liverpool’s start demonstrated their determination not to extend the date of their coronation. They were unimpressive in their comeback game last weekend, Klopp attributing that to the nature of the Merseyside derby rather than cause for concern. The reassurance of Salah and Andy Robertson’s return proved his point.
Within minutes, Palace were forced back. Georginio Wijnaldum dragged wide after eight minutes, and Jordan Henderson volleyed over Mane’s perfectly weighted cross as an opening goal looked inevitable.
It came from a familiar source, Alexander-arnold again indulging in the kind of free-kick David Beckham made his forte. Jordan Ayew had taken it upon himself to commit so many fouls on the edge of the penalty area, one wondered if he was trying to ensure keeper Wayne Hennessey was overemployed.
Alexander-arnold picked his spot and sped off to an imaginary crowd. It was the first of several strikes that deserved more than an eerie splattering of applause from the directors’ box and dugout.
By then, Palace were bereft of Zaha, a player who has often excelled in this stadium. Their counter-attacking plan was compromised. Alisson Becker moved to the top of the golden glove chart for the most Premier League clean sheets. Not too shabby considering he has played only a half a season.
Palace were made to look leggy and short of ideas. James Mccarthy and James Mcarthur have formed a winning midfield duo at Anfield before, but that was eight years ago for Wigan. Mamadou Sakho knows his way around the stadium, too, but his propensity to see every clearance as a backheel-in-waiting is one of the reasons Klopp sold him.
Salah provided the cushion of a second after Fabinho’s defencesplitting pass – the Egyptian controlling and slamming past Hennessey – and the Brazilian’s 30-yard slammer after 55 minutes erased any doubts about victory prior to Mane adding the polish.
If you studied hard enough the legends on the Kop banners offered a sage nod of approval, especially given the quality of Fabinho’s strike.
“Our Club. Our Crest. Our Life” read the most prominent, decorated with the image of every Liverpool manager since 1959. Except one. Presumably Roy Hodgson understands. In this of all venues, in this of all times, you cannot help but imagine what it would have been like with spectators instead of slogans. What emotion there would have been at full-time rather than the customary, half-hearted elbow rubs. Those are the moments you fully appreciate how much soul has been lost in the fans’ absence.
There is a twisted irony for some of Klopp’s esteemed predecessors that Liverpool found themselves in need of a couple of favourable results involving Crystal Palace and Chelsea to secure the title at Manchester City’s expense. For 2014, read 2020.
There was no Dwight Gayle to lead a “Crystanbul” revival at 3-0 this time. Whatever Chelsea and Manchester City achieve tonight, all they can delay is the inevitable.
Liverpool (4-3-3) Alisson 7; Alexander-arnold 8 (Williams 74), Van Dijk 8, Gomez 8, Robertson 8 (Keita 84); Wijnaldum 7, Fabinho 9, Henderson 8 (Oxladechamberlain 64); Salah 8, Firmino 7 (Minamino 74), Mane 8 (Elliott 84). Subs Lovren, Adrian (g), Origi, Jones.
Crystal Palace (4-3-3) Hennessey 5; Ward 5, Sakho 4, Cahill 5, Van Aanholt 5; Kouyate 5 (Milivojevic 66), Mccarthy 4, Mcarthur 4 (Riedewald 66); Townsend 5, Ayew 4 (Pierrick 83), Zaha 4 (Meyer 15). Subs Dann, Henderson (g), Tavares, Mitchell.
Referee Martin Atkinson (West Yorkshire).