A glimmer of hope arose in the heart of the Anfield faithful when Jurgen Klopp was appointed to succeed Brendan Rodgers as Liverpool manager at the beginning of the season. The German's exploits at Borussia Dortmund, passion and the habit of wearing his heart on the sleeve were in direct synchronisation with what Liverpool, as a club, had been longing for many years. Seven months have passed and it can be said that Klopp has got Anfield buzzing again.
Although the Reds are languishing at eighth in the Premier League table, Liverpool made it to the League Cup final, which they lost to Manchester City on penalties, and will play Sevilla in the final of the Europa League on May 18 in Basel. Irrespective of whether they win or not, Liverpool are on the right path under Jurgen Klopp and the KOP has found its voice again.
It has taken a lot out of both Klopp and his players to get there, right from missing out on key players to keeping up with a gruelling schedule. However, some games have defined Klopp and his Liverpool side this season up till now. Let’s take a look at the top five of those:
1) Manchester City 1-4 Liverpool, Etihad Stadium, November 21, 2015
In what could arguably be described as Liverpool’s best performance under the German, the Reds hammered Manchester City 4-1 at the Etihad. City went into the game hoping to return to the top of the table but Liverpool had other plans and demolished them in the first half itself, racing to a 3-0 lead. The Brazilian duo of Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino were on fire and got able support courtesy of solid performances from Emre Can and Adam Lallana.
Eliaquim Mangala turned Firmino’s cross into his own goal to set the ball rolling for Liverpool, who kept piling on the pressure. Coutinho, who was particularly special on the night, finished from Firmino’s pass to make it 2-0 to the away side. A sumptuous passing move, marked by a scintillating backheel from Emre Can, tripled the Reds’ lead as Firmino provided a finishing touch to a brilliant piece of play.
Aguero pulled one back for the home side in the first half with a world class finish but it did not prove to be enough and City could not find their way back. Martin Skrtel’s striker like finish in 81st minute capped off a brilliant night for Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp, showing how devastating the Reds could be when at their best.
2) Norwich City 4-5 Liverpool, Carrow Road, January 23, 2016
A topsy-turvy nine-goal thriller saw Liverpool beat Norwich City in quite a frantic clash with some amazing celebrations at the end. Things started off well for Liverpool as they took the lead courtesy a Roberto Firmino goal but some pedestrian defending handed back reins of the match to the home side. Norwich equalised through Dieumerci Mbokani, following which goals from Steven Naismith and Wes Hoolahan put them 3-1 ahead.
It was while staring at defeat that Klopp’s side found its steel and fighting spirit as they went up 4-3 through goals from Jordan Henderson, Roberto Firmino and James Milner. Just when it looked as if three points were in the bag for Liverpool, a screamer from Sebastien Bassong put Norwich back on level terms.
The story did not end there and had a fairytale finish for Klopp's side as Adam Lallana scored in the fifth minute of added time to win it for Liverpool. Klopp’s celebration following that goal symbolised what the win meant for the Reds and showed how his side can do anything but give up.
3) Liverpool 2-2 West Bromwich Albion, Anfield, December 13, 2016
This game could aptly be characterised as the one that brought Jurgen Klopp really close to the Kop, making him an essential part of the Liverpool family. Up against Tony Pulis’ West Bromwich Albion at home, Liverpool went ahead 1-0 through a Jordan Henderson goal in the 21st minute. However, the lead was short-lived as a Simon Mignolet error put the away side on level terms.
Jonas Olsson’s disallowed goal at the stroke of half-time ensured that both teams went into the break even. However, Olsson put West Brom ahead with a goal just 17 minutes from time as he headed home a Chris Brunt cross. Craig Gardner’s horrible tackle on Dejan Lovren resulted in the defender being carried off on a stretcher and long pause in the match, which eventually turned out to be good for the home side.
Young Belgian striker Divock Origi came off the bench and grabbed an astonishing equaliser in the 96th minute of the match, sending the Kop into a collective frenzy. Liverpool spurred on by the 12th man, managed to grab a point and Klopp recognised their contribution. Rather than going back into the tunnel, Klopp asked all his players to stay on the pitch and they jointly thanked the Kop for its support in a moment no Liverpool fan will forget.
4) Liverpool 2-0 Manchester United, Anfield, March 10, 2016
There is nothing bigger for a Liverpool fan, and the club, than beating their bitter rivals Manchester United and that is exactly what Klopp’s side did when the two giants met for the first time in a European competition. The first leg of the Europa League Round of 16 pitted the two arch-rivals against each other and the home side needed a sizeable lead before going to Old Trafford for the second leg.
Right from the start, Liverpool dominated the proceedings, creating one chance after another to test David de Gea, who pulled off some miraculous saves to keep the home side at bay. However, the break came for the Reds in the 20th minute when Daniel Sturridge converted from the spot after Nathaniel Clyne was fouled by Memphis Depay inside the penalty area.
Manchester United’s attempt to get back into the game in the second half was futile as they were not able to create enough chances. Roberto Firmino’s goal, 17 minutes from time, sealed the deal for Klopp’s side, helping them take a giant stride towards the quarter-final. Not only the win, but also the manner in which it was achieved, impressed everyone and sent out a warning signal to Liverpool’s Europa League rivals.
5) Liverpool 4-3 Borussia Dortmund, Anfield, April 14, 2016
Any Liverpool fan who watched this match will certainly say that it brought back memories of the 2005 UEFA Champions League final in Istanbul, making the club and its supporters dream of European glory once again. After a 1-1 draw at Signal Iduna Park in the first leg in the Europa League quarter-final against Klopp’s former side Borussia Dortmund, Liverpool had to win at Anfield in order to qualify for the semi-final.
Dortmund were off the blocks quickly and produced some scintillating football to put the home side under pressure. The game started on the worst possible note for Liverpool as Henrikh Mkhitaryan put the away side ahead in just the fifth minute. Dortmund went up 3-1 on aggregate when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored the second goal for Thomas Tuchel’s side.
Down 2-0 in the first half, Klopp’s Liverpool came out a rejuvenated side for the second half and pulled one back through Divock Origi to give themselves a slim chance. Matts Hummels and Marco Reus combined for Dortmund’s third goal against their former’s manager side as the latter’s neat finish left Liverpool a mountain to climb. However, Liverpool, spurred on by the Kop, did not give up and reduced the deficit to one goal after Philippe Coutinho's stunning finish.
The Brazilian’s strike instilled belief and Liverpool were relentless in putting pressure on a nervous Borussia Dortmund side. Things turned interesting when Mamadou Sakho scored in 77th minute to put the teams level on aggregate, giving Liverpool around 15 minutes to snatch a win. As if it was a script from a film, Dejan Lovren headed home in front of the Kop to send Liverpool into the Europa League semi-final 5-4 on aggregate.
