The first team were not the only ones shining on the big stage as a remarkable 5-5 draw outlined the mental strength coursing through the entire squad. The kids stepped up to get Liverpool in the quarter finals of the (enter a new sponsor here every season) league cup.If that was breath-taking, Liverpool’s managed to notch up the drama by snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. A quick fire turnaround in closing stages secured a 2-1 win against Aston Villa ahead of their heavyweight clash against Manchester City at Anfield.But before then Liverpool took a significant step to getting out of the group stages of their Champions’ League group with a 2-1 win over Genk which was the calm before the storm. Man City strolled up the M62 to take on Liverpool in a heavyweight fixture that didn’t disappoint. Jurgen Klopp’s side showed their quality with and without the ball which earned them a 3-1 win over Pep Guardiola’s City side to extend the gap at the top to 9 points. Going into the last international break before the new year Pep will be worrying about a lot more than how many times he can scream ‘twice’ within a single rant.Comeback mentality Character. It was a term used to belittle Klopp’s predecessor Brendan Rodgers when he would praise his side for showing mental strength, but in reality to be a successful side it has always remained a fundamental component. Watching the Ferguson United sides over the Premier League era was torturous because of seeing their never say die attitude digging them out so many late winners. Now Klopp’s Liverpool has embraced that.No side has recovered more points from a losing position since the start of the 2018/2019 season than Liverpool. It has even prompted their manager to label them his ‘mentality monsters’. The fact it’s their mentality that drive Liverpool forward until the end is what makes them unstoppable. A team can work on neglecting their opponents by tactically setting up efficiently or subduing a star player but a mind-set cannot be tampered with.It’s worse for a side knowing they are dropping deeper and deeper, but that is what Liverpool do to you. United 1-0 up barely ventured into Liverpool’s half because they were penned back defending so much; the same happened with Spurs and Villa so it’s no coincidence when sides feel like they going into retreat even when having an advantage. It’s the variety of dangers from the full backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson marauding runs to the front three’s dynamic interchangeable movement.Teams just can’t escape the pressure Liverpool put on them as their forwards is being man marshalled by Virgil Van Dijk meaning there isn’t an outlet. Therefore defending that long concentration is going to naturally diminish after a matter and Liverpool are built to take advantage of that.Not just that they are a more mature side now meaning when a side is trying to see out a narrow lead they will try and drag time wasting fouls out of the opposition. Usually a side would do it out of frustration but this Liverpool side does not panic. Recycling possession may be the opposite of what the fans from the stand want as they are shouting to hoof to the big forward without thinking.It happened at United when Robertson found the perfect opportunity to feed a teasing ball to Lallana for his goal at Old Trafford. There was no rash decision to lash a 35 yard screamer or crossing the ball without thinking. The thing with this Liverpool side is that they believe in their quality and know when opportunities open up they are clinical enough to take advantage.
At Villa, Mane crossed the same diagonal ball to the far post for Robertson that the Senegal winger nearly scored from showing they keep on doing what they practise in training and will not change no matter the circumstances. Even when Spurs took the lead in the first minute at Anfield there was never a sense of panic or doubt that Liverpool were going to get back into the game.The resilience shown by Liverpool have earned them seven points from losing positions which will be vital for the run in at the end of the season if they can maintain that gap.Unexpected heroes It would be safe to say that despite Liverpool having depth in their squad there still remains question marks over the future of some fringe players. One man considering his future has been a popular cause of corruption conversation is Adam Lallana considering he was one of Klopp’s first names on the team sheet not so long ago. The problem he’s found is the team has moved on without him but he showed he can still offer something with his equaliser at Old Trafford.Naby Keita remains an interesting case due to him struggling to get into the side but the last two substitute appearances in the PL has equated to 20 mins of game time and contributed to Liverpool retrieving 4 points while he’s been on the pitch. This show of faith by Klopp in the Guinean captain within these pressured situations will give him confidence for the next run of games he will no doubt be involved in.Lallana’s goal at Old Trafford comes from Keita forcing United players, because they know he is capable of bypassing them due to his dribbling ability. This gave him that vital split second to find Robertson who ends up assisting Lallana. There is still a lot more to come from Keita and these little cameos will help him.
Like Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has proved an effective substitute as his driving runs at tired legs adds a different dynamic to Liverpool’s game. For instance his three blocked shots against Villa at first looks like great defending but at the same time those centre backs know what is coming with the Ox on the pitch. When Liverpool’s traditional midfield three are not at peak at least there are options that can offer something different off the bench.Saving the best till last As hard as it was not to think about it Liverpool’s biggest test came just before the international break when their rival for the title came to Anfield. Man City arrived already 6 points behind the league leaders and couldn’t afford for it to widen even more. At the same time Liverpool knew this was the side that piped them to the title by one point last season and couldn’t be counted out. In a game where City actually played well in possession, Liverpool killed them on the counter attack. In a fixture which proved decisive for the title it was crucial Liverpool took advantage of City’s frailties at the back.It wasn’t just the difference in both penalty areas’ the midfield of Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Gino Wijnaldum showed why they are Klopp’s favoured midfield in the big occasions.The industrious effort they put in forced City to be at their absolute best when on the ball, the problem with that is made City hurry their passes and with players in advanced positions there were oceans of room to exploit.
The psychological impact of this result was clear on Pep Guardiola’s face when he was pointing his two fingers up at the sky and screaming ‘twice’ towards the footballing gods that he felt were conspiring against him. Instead the Spaniard just has to look at his direct rival in this league and admit they look unstoppable.While the Beast in the Disney classic had a happy ending when he was waltzing with his beloved Belle, there is the growing belief that Henderson will be doing the same with the PL trophy in May.Article by Jake Clay – @JakeClay17
