LIVERPOOL, England: Jurgen Klopp has a smile back on his face – even if his Liverpool players seem intent on testing their nerves to the end.
The Premier League title may be beyond the Merseyside club, but that doesn’t mean the drama is over for Klopp, who will step down at the end of the season.
Last week he was arguing with Mohamed Salah on the sidelines as Liverpool were virtually out of the title race. And while Salah opened the scoring in Sunday’s 4-2 win against Tottenham at Anfield, it was Harvey Elliott who looked to put a broad smile on Klopp’s face with an easy long-range goal for Klopp’s side . ,
“What a goal,” said the Liverpool manager. “In the game you just see it fly and I thought, ‘That was a good shot.’ “The goal I saw later, there was not much space left and right, it was exactly where it should be.”
Elliott’s strike followed goals from Salah, Andy Robertson and Cody Gakpo to give Liverpool a 4–0 lead before the game had even reached the hour mark. What followed was a most unexpected struggle from Spurs, perhaps making it another disappointing day in what was ultimately a disappointing finale for Klopp at the end of almost nine trophy-laden years.
Goals from Richarlison and Son Heung-min made it a closer match than ever. And it required two excellent saves from Alisson, a goal-line clearance from Joe Gomez and a VAR call to stop it getting still closer.
“It’s a little mirror of the season. “We were really, really, really good until we were really rubbish and then, we were okay again,” Klopp said.
A nervous end didn’t stop the home fans from booing Klopp from producing his trademark post-match triple fist pump to the crowd after his final home game in charge, with Feyenoord coach Arne Slott set to take over next season. .
Mathematically, at least, it’s not over for third-placed Liverpool, who are five points behind leaders Arsenal with two games remaining. But, in reality, a late-season slump has dashed Klopp’s hopes of following through with a second Premier League crown of his reign.
Their team had been significantly rebuilt over the past two seasons and were not expected to reach the top so quickly. But at one point this season Liverpool were expected to win a quadruple trophy. Now they feel that it is ending in a very disappointing way.
Still, Klopp, who delivered the English League Cup in February, will be without a team that is on the rise and will leave plenty of young talent for his successor to work with.
21-year-old Elliott is a prime example and demonstrated his considerable potential with an assist and a goal as Liverpool threatened to go riot.
His precisely placed curling cross provided Gakpo with the easy task of getting into Liverpool’s third and he then struck an unstoppable shot from about 20 yards (metres) into the top corner and beyond Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.
“Harvey is extraordinary. Still very small. Very extraordinary,” Klopp said. “In the midfield position, it was probably one of his top three performances today. The goal was extraordinary. Everyone needs moments to gain more confidence. It was a nice moment. “That definitely helps.”
villa slips
A bad week got even worse for Aston Villa after a shock 1-0 defeat at Brighton.
Unai Emery’s side lost 4-2 at home to Olympiacos in the first leg of their Europa Conference League semi-final on Thursday. And on a day when he could have sealed his place in next season’s Champions League, he suffered another blow when Joao Pedro headed home a header from the rebound after seeing his penalty saved by Robin Olsen in the 87th.
Only Spurs’ defeat at Anfield prevented it from being a major shock, as the result at the Amex Stadium gave Anze Postecoglou’s team hope of chasing Villa into fourth.
But Villa still missed the chance to ensure a top-four finish.
Chelsea beat West Ham
Chelsea’s difficult season could yet end on a slightly better note after Mauricio Pochettino’s side thrashed West Ham 5-0 to boost their chances in European football next season.
The win at Stamford Bridge moved Chelsea up to seventh in the standings and two points behind sixth-placed Newcastle. Only the top six teams in the Premier League will be guaranteed a place in Europe next season.
“We need to keep this momentum and belief going,” Pochettino said.
While Chelsea’s exorbitant spending under American owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital was supposed to bring the 2021 Champions League winners back into contention for the biggest prizes, qualification for Europe was hampered by finishing in the bottom half of the table last year and without another season. The latter will represent progress. Struggle for this period.
Following a morale-boosting 2-0 win against Tottenham on Thursday, Chelsea beat West Ham.
Chelsea took a 3–0 lead with break through goals from Cole Palmer, Connor Gallagher and Nonny Madueke, before Nicholas Jackson scored twice in the second half.