Liverpool’s quest for a historic quadruple remains on after they edged past Benfica in their Champions League quarter-final encounter.
There was a sharp intake of breath from many – this writer included – when the Reds teamsheet was announced on Wednesday, with Jurgen Klopp making seven changes to what is his preferred starting eleven.
If an alien descends from above and asks you why you love football so much, be sure to show them the tape of Liverpool’s breathless 2-2 draw with Manchester City on Sunday.
It’s (almost) mission accomplished for Liverpool in the Champions League quarter final following a 3-1 victory at Benfica. While away goals are no longer a factor, the Reds will still bring a comfy two-goal cushion back to Anfield and know that they only realistically need to net once on home soil to book their spot in the last four.
Liverpool returned from the international break with a comfortable enough 2-0 win over Watford to keep the pressure on Manchester City at the summit of the Premier League. It was a tenth straight victory for the Reds in domestic action, and while this wasn’t the most entertaining spectacle that Anfield will ever witness, the three points are all that count at this stage.
With about ten weeks of the 2021/22 season remaining, Liverpool find themselves in the enviable position of being right in the mix for the Premier League title, with a Champions League quarter-final and an FA Cup semi-final also on the horizon.
In this very column we tipped Under 2.5 Goals in the contest between Arsenal and Liverpool on Wednesday evening, and the game played out exactly as we expected it to. The Gunners retreated every time the Reds moved forward with the ball, and while it would be unfair to suggest Mikel Arteta parked the bus – his side transitioned in numbers when they retrieved possession – the emphasis was on solidity over creativity.
With comfortable 2-0 victories in their respective weekend games, both Liverpool and Arsenal head into their midweek clash at the Emirates Stadium in fine spirits.
Jurgen Klopp described Liverpool’s finishing as ‘slapstick’ in Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Inter Milan, and the comedy almost became a tragedy as the Italians pressed hard for an equaliser.
Another potential obstacle overcome, Liverpool remain in the hunt for the Premier League title despite Manchester City’s subsequent win over their local rivals United. West Ham have become one of the toughest sides to beat in the division, and Saturday evening’s encounter at Anfield was always likely to be settled by the odd defining moment here or there.
Liverpool’s FA Cup win over Norwich City on Wednesday threatened to turn into a footballing version of the hare and tortoise fable. The Reds romped into a two-goal lead thanks to a brace of goals from Takumi Minamino, and given Norwich’s poor form and lowly status in the Premier League it seemed impossible for them to come back from that deficit.
And as Liverpool pushed to extend their cushion but failed to find a breakthrough, Lukas Rupp stole clear to fire home completely against the run of play and set up a final 20 minutes that was more fraught than it really needed to be from Jurgen Klopp’s perspective.