Jurgen Klopp’s side go into the final game of the season this afternoon having dragged themselves back into the top four after Wednesday’s 3-0 win at Burnley ensured a run of 23 points from a possible 27. Four ahead of fifth-placed Leicester City on goal difference, Liverpool know victory over Palace would almost certainly secure Champions League qualification. With a succession of serious injuries in key positions, losses of form, the impact of no supporters and the ongoing effect of the pandemic, it has been a campaign Klopp admits has proven uniquely testing.
Jurgen Klopp said: “Was it the most difficult season of my career? Yes. It was the most difficult year of my life. I never thought I’d have to deal with a pandemic, all of us. I found that at times really difficult to deal with. What did I learn? That sleep is overestimated! Am I a better manager? I’m not sure, but I’m much more experienced. I spoke on Friday to (Liverpool assistant manager) Pep Lijnders. As managers and coaches, you need to renew your licence from time to time. When you are at the top, it is difficult to find time to do that. Managers who are in a job shouldn’t be asked to have it renewed – it should just be renewed because no day is like the day before. There’s always a new problem, there’s always something else. Experience is important, but it doesn’t always help. But we have made so many more experiences (this season) than could have been done in any other year. There will be a time when I appreciate that, but it will be in the future. It’s not at the moment.”
There is a neat symmetry with Palace being the visitors for the first large-scale return of supporters to Anfield since the initial lockdown more than 14 months ago. The 4-0 win last year was the first game played behind closed doors at the stadium, the continued lack of fans contributing to a club record six successive home defeats for the Reds earlier this season. While 2,000 were allowed in for three Premier League games in December, the 10,000-strong crowd today is the largest gathering at Anfield since the Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid on March 11 2020.
Jurgen Klopp said: “It’s the best news in a long, long time, to be honest, that we are able to do that. If you would have told me years ago, ‘Anfield, 10,000’, I would have (thought), ‘What? That must be a really bad period. But Anfield, 10,000 now sounds amazing and it is. I can’t wait to get out and just see the stands – I think it’s all four stands, right? But 2,000 we had was already really impressive. So now 10,000, I can’t wait.”
This is the third time in five seasons Liverpool have needed a home win in their final game of the season to secure Champions League qualification, having beaten Middlesbrough 3-0 in 2017 and Brighton and Hove Alboin 4-0 the following year.
Jurgen Klopp added: “We had a lot of important games in the last part of the season, so that’s how it is. Being experienced in it doesn’t mean you are always ready for it – but we will be ready. We fought so hard to come in this position and we will absolutely give our everything. Will we play our best football? I don’t know. Will we give our absolute everything? Definitely.”
