Title-damaging defeat signals beginning of the end for Klopp
Liverpool are in the land of hope more than glory in their title pursuit.
Every defeated challenger can point to a game which they reflect upon as the beginning of the end. This felt like that moment for Jurgen Klopp.
A home 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace has surrendered the advantage to Manchester City, and left the Kop praying for the same meltdown which has afflicted Anfield over the past four days.
City’s title hopes were boosted when the other title challenger, Arsenal, also suffered a shock home 2-0 loss to Aston Villa.
Liverpool’s desperate bid to save themselves possessed all the trademark flaws of a contender seeing their dream vaporise; panic and anxiety, wasted chances, inexplicable defensive blocks and the silent realisation upon the final whistle that even if it is not technically over, the sense of foreboding is overwhelming.
Liverpool carry too many scars from previous skirmishes with City and will anticipate they will be duly punished for this implosion.
They like to say “this means more” at Liverpool, but perhaps this time it is all starting to mean too much.
Eight days ago they were top, readying themselves to pepper Manchester United’s goal with 32 shots and still pursuing a treble. And not just any treble. Jurgen’s farewell treble. The treble to be remembered on an open bus tour in May, closing the book on a rejuvenating era. The treble that was going to make the job even more daunting for Klopp’s successor.
Five dropped points and a humiliating European defeat later, and Liverpool are one more poor Premier League result from being compelled to consider life postKlopp sooner than they imagined.
Whether results elsewhere reopen the door or not, even the most optimistic Liverpool supporters know they are no longer admiring a team that resembles champions-in-waiting.
They have been defying the odds to keep pace with City and Arsenal for a while. Now they look tanked. Their quality to be a nightmare to play against certainly has left them at the least opportune moment.
It is not without added poi- gnancy that Crystal Palace inflicted such a dent in Liverpool’s ambitions.
Palace were the first team to beat a Liverpool side managed by Klopp at Anfield, shortly after he took over in 2015. They were also the last to do so before Klopp led Liverpool into the Champions League and embarked on a three-year run without losing their own stadium.
Now they may have bookmarked it with what could be the last home defeat of his reign. If it costs the title, no others have been so damaging.
Liverpool will need a miracle in Europe in midweek. The points tally may suggest otherwise, but without a radical upturn in form they will need the same to win the Premier League.
Arsenal 0, Aston Villa 2.
Suddenly it feels like this has been the pivotal weekend in the Premier League title race. Just after Liverpool threw away their chance to resume the leadership, Arsenal choked.
It was an accusation levelled against them last season, unfairly so as they were then in a fight to be champions that no one expected, but if they fail to finish first this time round it is a charge they unfortunately cannot escape. And this will be the game everyone refers back to.
Manchester City may only be two points ahead, after their demolition of Luton Town, and there are six games to go and 18 points to play for, but it is an advantage they could only have dreamt of on Friday night. It is also ominous for their rivals given their pedigree from this position – especially as it has been gifted to them.
Aston Villa fully deserved their victory. There is no doubt about that. It completed an impressive league double over Arsenal, becoming the first side also to stop them scoring over two league games this season, and was surely all the more satisfying for Unai Emery in his first return to the Emirates as Villa manager.
More importantly, it significantly enhanced their hopes of a top-four finish and guaranteeing Champions League qualification. They came to win; they played bravely; they were worthy victors. And they had two fewer days to prepare for this given the last round of European fixtures.
The outstanding players? Villa’s captain John McGinn and centre-half Diego Carlos, while there was folly in the Arsenal fans goading their former goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
The World Cup-winner thrives on such situations as he produced the save of the match, when the game was goalless, to deny Leandro Trossard from point-blank range with an outstretched right foot.
At the final whistle Martinez celebrated long and enthusiastically with the jubilant Villa supporters. - The Telegraph