There is a great probability that the EPL will never witness another team end a season unbeaten. It seems that much-envied status will forever be exclusive to the Invincible Gunners of 2003/2004. (Though I very much hope Jürgen Klopp led Liverpool can achieve it. Next season doesn’t seem like a bad year to do it.)
Considering the manner by which Liverpool lost the first leg, leaving every analyst and fan wondering what might have been if the game had ended 11 men apiece. It was poetic justice that it was the same Liverpool that ended the unbeaten run.
Considering how the current EPL season is unfolding, sentimentally, the next team “deserving” of a win against Manchester City has to be Burnley. They have surprised everyone, including themselves with not just the results they have churned out, but also the style of football they have played compared to what they have done in recent years.
Signing Alex Oxlade Chamberlain at the beginning of the season at the price he came for seemed like daylight robbery by Arsenal. Not only did he have just a year left on his contract, but he has failed to improve to the level expected of him at the start of his career. Even more disturbing was the fact that no one was sure exactly what position was he best at on the field, nor what would he be contributing to the team and worse still who would he be displacing from the first team.
The conclusion at the start of the season was that the only way Chamberlain wouldn’t end up as an expensive squad extra and waste of funds was either a series of disastrous injury to first-team regulars or a miraculous surge in form for him. No one saw him ever being placed in the same sentence as the phrase “replacement for Phillipe Coutinho”. If Chamberlain does end up as Coutinho’s replacement, then at the current transfer value, it will be daylight robbery by Liverpool.
Signing Virgil Van Dijk was supposed to be the fix to all of Liverpool defensive woes (excluding the goalkeeping problem. At this point Liverpool might have to go sign an Angel from heaven to fix that).
Getting the matchday squad and realizing Van Dijk was missing had some people give up on this “Mission End The Unbeaten Run”. Knowing that Raheem Sterling was finally coming into his own, Leroy Sane would as usual be running riot and Sergio Aguero will be “Agueroing” that just spelled disaster for Liverpool. (Can’t Liverpool just work on the fact that Aguero was a childhood LFC fan and get him to sign for them already?)
Matip and Captain Lovren (unbelievable, right?) did do a bang-up job while Andy Robertson just bossed Raheem Sterling all night. I am one of the few who have always loved Alberto Moreno, but watching Robertson making wingers after wingers ineffective in matches is making me wonder if Klopp shouldn’t cash in on Moreno now that his market value is at his highest since he signed for Liverpool.
Did you see Robertson close down on Man after Man in blue, right from left-wing down to the goalkeeper and then an extra defender somewhere across field? He managed to knock the ball out of his feet, though with a foul, but more importantly, without getting carded. That was a beauty to behold. He didn’t even look out of breath at the end of that run.
Mane, Salah and Firminho could be the most devastating forward line in the EPL this season and hopefully next, (Who needs a “true 9” if it’s not Aguero?). But then Goalkeepers could be the most devastating part of the Liverpool Lineup. Hopefully, Van Dijk can help ensure it never even matters who is in goal for us.
On a side note, it is good to know that Van Dijk has played just one match for Liverpool but has already won three.
For the rest of the EPL teams, here is the breakdown on How To End An Unbeaten Run:
- Sign a seemingly “Useless” player at an “Unreasonable” price six months prior.
- Refuse to let your best player leave for his dream club while failing to let your priority target come to his dream club.
- Sign your priority target over five months later, a couple of days before the transfer window opens. Making him the most expensive defender ever.
- Have your new “Defensive Solution” score the winning goal in his debut match which just happens to be against your local rival.
- Let your best player go to his dream club for a price that makes him the second most expensive player in history, in the process earning from the money paid for the current most expensive player in the world.
- Announce that the world most expensive defender will be missing the match against the unbeaten league leader.
- Have the heavily underrated “useless” player score a stunner for the opening goal.
- Have whatever is left of the fab four score one goal apiece.
- Leave your fans and the rest of the league with their hearts in their mouths by conceding two unnecessary goals.
- Build up the drama by giving away a last-minute free-kick to an Unbeaten, free-scoring, late goal expert team.
- Stand rooted to your spots as you watch them fail to score as you end their unbeaten run.
Wilson Joshua is a Video Editor, Content Creator and Creative Writer.
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