The Reds reach the FA Cup final at Wembley on Saturday and still have a chance of an unprecedented four-peat
Jurgen Klopp puffed out his cheeks and nodded, somehow managing to sum it all up perfectly.
“Happy?” he was asked as he headed to the Liverpool coach, and we can safely assume it was a fairly satisfying journey back to Merseyside.
His answer said it all. Of course, he’s happy, but there’s a lot more to him than that.
Perhaps exhausted after such an energy-draining day? Emotional, of course, to witness the final festivities?
And most explicitly focus on the challenges ahead.
Liverpool’s FA Cup semi-final win over Manchester City may have been a grand victory, but even bigger victories awaited them, and Klopp and his players knew that.
They’re enjoying the ride, but the reality is they’re 11 games away from immortality, and as they tick game after game, the prospect of an unprecedented four-peat keeps growing.
“It’s something everyone dreams about,” Virgil van Dijk told a group of reporters in the Wembley mix. “But there’s a reason no one has done it before – because it’s almost impossible.”
It doesn’t take a genius to find key phrases in there, does it? almost impossible.
almost.
It reminds us of one of the most famous team talks Klopp ever had, at the Hope Street Hotel just hours before the second leg of the 2019 Champions League semi-final second leg against Barcelona.
Liverpool were down 3-0 in the first leg in Catalonia, but as they gathered for a pre-match meeting, Klopp put on one of his greatest performances.
“The whole world thought it was impossible,” he told his players. “Honestly, it might not be possible.
“But because of you? Because of you, we have a chance.”
That speech definitely applies now, almost three years later. Liverpool wanting to win all four competitions – the Premier League, the FA Cup, the Carabao Cup and the Champions League – looks impossible, and likely is. But with this team? With this team, they have a chance.
How big Saturday’s victory will be, only time will tell. The general consensus is that Pep Guardiola’s men have looked more convincing in both league games this season, but it was Klopp’s side who exerted their authority at Wembley, a city starving The lethal combination of , intensity and quality is amazing, especially in the opening 45 minutes.
“One of the best halves we’ve ever played,” Klopp said. Trent Alexander-Arnold said Liverpool were “outstanding”, insisting they had learned the lessons of last week’s 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium and executed their game plan early on through high play and hard work.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a team crush Manchester City like we did,” suggested the England full-back.
Manchester City certainly made excuses for their performance. They were not surrounded by unused backup Kevin De Bruyne, nor Kyle Walker, who was limping through the mixed zone in his left ankle protection boot. Aymeric Laporte, Ruben Dias and Rodri were ruled out, as was Ederson, with backup goalkeeper Zach Stephen having a nightmare on the big stage.
They have a lot of expectations of themselves. They are still in pole position in the Premier League, need to win their last seven games to guarantee a fourth title in five years, and could well be a stumbling block for Liverpool if the Reds overtake Villarreal into the Premier League. Champions League final. The Merseyside/Manchester set is far from over.
However, Liverpool’s players looked and sounded as if they were up for the challenge. “It’s always the best time of year,” Alexander-Arnold said. Van Dijk agreed and urged fans not to worry or annoy but to enjoy the moment.
“What happened is special,” the Dutchman said. “Hopefully we’ll all remember those times when we look back in 10 or 20 years.”
Even Mohamed Salah, who went on to score at Wembley recently, was smiling as he walked towards the bus. “I missed you so much!” he joked with reporters, though in typical fashion, he politely declined interview requests. Really understandable because we all know what the line of questioning is.
Don’t worry about Van Dijk, he spent half an hour working on the media. The Dutchman even took the time to mock Andy Robertson, who said he got sunburned during the game. “He’s Scottish and that’s why!” joked Van Dijk.
Several Manchester City players, including club captain Fernandinho and striker Gabriel Jesus, also appeared before the media, but others retreated hastily. John Stones left with a hood, Phil Foden’s face like thunder, and Steffen barely raised his eyes from the floor. Their trip north will be a dreary one.
At least they have a chance to bounce back quickly. Both sides have a midweek Premier League game, with Liverpool taking on Manchester United at Anfield on Tuesday before Manchester City host Brighton 24 hours later. A single turnover now could prove fatal for any team.
There’s no doubt that Liverpool’s hope of Saturday’s victory has given Guardiola some doubts and a layer of confidence and confidence.
If nothing else, it has questioned some members of the Manchester City squad. For example, it would be a surprise if we saw Steffen, Fernandinho, Nathan Aker or Oleksandr Zinchenko between now and the end of the season.
Manchester City, on the other hand, hope that the weight of history and the intensity of the schedule will match Liverpool’s. Despite the Reds’ incredible feat this season, there are still big hurdles to overcome, and the prospect of a brilliant defeat remains, if we may say so.
Klopp’s side handle pressure well, but they’ve never faced a situation like this before. No team has.
That’s what makes the next few weeks so fascinating. History beckons for Klopp’s red machine.
Will they have one, two, three or four trophies in the cabinet by the end of May?Return to Sohu, see more
Editor:
Disclaimer: The opinions of this article only represent the author himself, Sohu is an information publishing platform, and Sohu only provides information storage space services.