Written by Lewis Thompson
It’s been a busy week for Liverpool Football Club and matters surrounding it. Two must win Premier League games in a short space of time against tough opposition, AFCON heroes returning and excitement around the fan base on having a fully fit squad!
Anyway, just in case you may have missed something, we have you covered!
Sunday 6th February
Liverpool started the week knowing that two wins against Leicester and Burnley would be vital in their hopes of catching Man City in the race for the Premier League title.
Liverpool beat Cardiff 3-1 in the 4th round of the FA Cup. Goals from Jota and Minamino as well as Harvey Elliot who got his first goal for the Reds after 147 days out with an ankle injury, meant Liverpool progressed into the 5th round. A draw at home to Norwich will decide if Liverpool progress into the quarter-finals.
Sadio Mane won the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations after beating Mo Salah’s Egypt to win Senegal’s first-ever AFCON. A confidence boost for the Senegalese star after recent poor performances and a motivator for Salah who now has his eyes set on winning another trophy under Jurgen Klopp.
Monday 7th February
On Monday we learned the Reds have added Luis Diaz to their Champions League squad for their games against Inter Milan in the round of 16. Nat Phillips was the one to drop out after his loan move to Bournemouth.
Tuesday 8th February
Gomez and Oxlade-Chamberlain returned to training after missing the FA Cup tie against Cardiff. The pair missed the win due to their COVID-19 isolation periods.
Salah told Klopp that we wanted to play against Leicester. Klopp told LiverpoolFC.com, “I spoke to him and pretty much the first thing Mo told me was: ‘I’m ready.’”
Sky Sports released a stat-based Premier League team of the season which included Trent, Van Dijk, Salah and Jota. The rankings were “based on 35 Premier League matchday stats” (SkySports.com). Jose Sa, Joao Cancelo, Thiago Silva, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Conor Gallagher and Heung-Min Son also made the team.
Thursday 10th February
Liverpool beat Leicester 2-0 in the Premier League. Salah made his first appearance since the AFCON and Diaz shined on his first start for the Reds. All in all, a comfortable win against a poor Brendan Rodgers Leicester side left Liverpool nine points behind City with a game in hand.
A brace from Diogoal Jota meant the Portuguese forward earned his 100th career goal.
Friday 11th February
Sadio Mane returned to training after his success in the AFCON.
Bobby Clark signed his first professional contract with The Reds.
Sunday 13th February
Liverpool beat Burnley 1-0 at Turf Moor. A hard-fought victory for the Reds put Liverpool back within nine points of Manchester City with an away game against Inter Milan and a home tie against Norwich City coming up. Klopp praised his team for dodging the Burnley “banana skin” (SkySports.com) as they push to catch City in the title race.
