The biggest dream of every English club is to lift one of the most coveted league trophies in the world - The Premier League. The competition is fierce, with the intensity immense and the stakes, unbelievably high. One such club which happens to have a rich and exquisite history in the league, is none other than the one from Merseyside - Liverpool FC. Now being one of the biggest clubs in the world, Liverpool FC has a vast fan base that is spread across the world. The club is no stranger to success, having silverware that dates back to the ’70s and ’80s. Unfortunately for the past 30 years, their achievements have been few and far between and their successes have been short-lived. Although the club has managed to win big trophies like the UEFA Champions League, the FA Cup, and the Carabao Cup, the only piece of silverware they hadn’t been able to attain for the last 30 years was the Premier League. Most of the players who have played for the club know well that the club’s ultimate goal was always to win the Premier League and give back to the fans the joy and excitement they have been long deprived of.
The wait ended, when Liverpool FC was crowned the champions of the Premier League this season, after all the interruptions in the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation. However, it wasn’t an ideal title win for the club, as they were forced to lift the Premier League Trophy in the absence of their dedicated fans at Anfield; an anti-climactic end to their long awaited victory. Despite this, any Liverpool fan would surely take winning the trophy over waiting for the perfect winning scenario.
Jürgen Klopp, the gaffer, who took charge of Liverpool in 2015 has done an extraordinary job in lifting the morale of the club and played a huge part in bringing them back to winning ways. By making the right signings at the right time, he instilled a sense of belief in the players as well as the Anfield. He also reinstated the high-intensity pressing style of play the club was quite familiar with. Klopp’s biggest strength has always been the way he manages his players and support staff. The amazing rapport he creates among everyone, brings about an amazing chemistry between the players.
Everyone thought the previous season was Liverpool’s only chance at a Premier League title due to Manchester City’s dominance. In a heartbreaking series of events, they ended up just one point short of winning the title, last season. Recovering from such a close finish had looked very rough and people had been doubtful if the players would be able to perform at the same level in the season to come. However, Klopp’s “mentality monsters” proved everyone wrong by putting in amazing performances week in and week out, solidifying their title dreams with 7 games to spare.
The deadly attacking trio of Mohammed Salah, Sadio Mane, and Roberto Firmino proved to be pivotal to Liverpool’s overall success, as they consistently have been. The dynamic full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson racked up 25 assists between themselves in the league, which is an all-time league record for the number of assists by defenders. The ever-strong Virgil van Dijk and his partner Joe Gomez also had an amazing season as center-backs. Several other remarkable players like Alisson, Georginio Wijnaldum, Fabinho, Joel Matip and James Milner gave their all for the team and helped bring it to where it is today. However, the most important player for the club this season was undoubtedly its captain, Jordan Henderson, who put in immaculate performances that simply cannot be described by statistics. He led from the front and showed his team what commitment, passion and hard-work truly meant.
Anyone could tell how perfectly drilled and trained Klopp’s men were from their amazing work rate. Their heavy pressing counter-attacking style was a joy to watch for not only their hardcore fans, but also football enthusiasts in general. The fact that they remained unbeaten for the first 27 games of the season spoke volumes about the attitude of the team. Despite being in a lot of difficult situations during several parts of the season, they somehow found a way to turn it around to their benefit. Their game at Villa Park where they came back from being 2 goals behind, the last-minute penalty at Anfield against Leicester, and the last gasp winner at the Molineux against Wolves were some of the most memorable, title-defining moments of the season.
It is no doubt that every single player and support staff had put their heart and soul into every game throughout the season and were responsible for bringing Premier League back to Merseyside. From doubters to believers to winners, the club and its fans have indeed come a long way.
