Analysis

Our Exclusive Analysis: Liverpool’s 2020-21 Premier League Season Review

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The 2020-21 season for Liverpool with its ever-present uncertainties was not one that had been expected in the slightest by the players and fans alike on Merseyside.

Fresh on the back off their historic title-winning campaign last time around, Jurgen Klopp and his Liverpool side were thrust into a period where they endured an ever-increasing list of players succumbing to long-period injury layoffs coupled with the Reds witnessing a disastrous run of form at the ‘fortress-like’ venue of Anfield.

This past season had its fair share of problems both on-field and off it as well with the European Super League drama being one which had not been anticipated by the Liverpool fanbase in the slightest but propelled them to launch vigorous protests against it and force the owner John Henry to issue a videotaped apology, albeit a weak one.

Defensive colossus Virgil van Dijk and his deputies Joe Gomez and Joel Matip saw their season end with injury troubles that are bound to keep the centre-back trio sidelined just in time for the commencement of the 2021-22 campaign and the injury-ravaged Liverpool side could only force Jurgen Klopp to draft his midfield players in the centre-back role as makeshift options.

But as they say “All’s well that ends well” as the Reds, who looked on the cusp of missing out on European football at one stage with even a top-six finish looking uncertain, clinched the third spot in the Premier League table on the final day of play in the backend of May.

Ahead of the forthcoming UEFA Euros where a host of Liverpool stars will be seen striving for international glory following which their return to Anfield will coincide with the start of the new season, let us take a look at the events that unfolded over the course of the 2020-21 season in what is our review of the same-

An unprecedented injury crisis made unbearable for the defending champions

It was in the first Merseyside derby of the season held in October that Virgil van Dijk limped off the Goodison Park pitch after being involved in a collision with Everton shot-stopper Jordan Pickford.

The Dutch defender was soon sidelined for the remainder of the top-flight campaign with a season-ending ACL injury layoff as Jurgen Klopp’s side were dealt a hammer blow in their attempts to retain their Premier League crown.

Soon after Van Dijk’s layoff, more bad news was in store for the Liverpool supporters with the player’s first-choice centre-back partner Joe Gomez also being ruled out for the season with a tendon injury to his knee.

With his preferred options not expected to play any part on the pitch in what remained of the campaign, Klopp had the injury-prone Joel Matip to turn to and considering the latter’s successive run-in with fitness issues, the Liverpool boss had to resort to fielding the likes of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson at centre-back.

The positional shift of these players from the centre of the park to the heart of the four-man Reds backline had a major impact on the structure of the Liverpool XI which endured a dismal run of form playing at home upon the turn of the year.

The seemingly ever-lasting crisis came to a close when Klopp used the final hours of the January transfer window to bring in Ozan Kabak and Ben Davies, the latter of whom is yet to make his debut in the Liverpool shirt.

Kabak formed a formidable centre-back pairing alongside the unlikeliest of Anfield heroes in Nat Phillips with the defensive duo putting together a string of solid showings at the back to help Liverpool’s resurgence in the dying moments of the campaign.

Anfield new boy Diogo Jota looks set for a promising future on Merseyside

Jota was understandably Klopp’s alternative signing to provide much-needed cover for the Firmino-Mane-Salah combine as the Liverpool boss could not fork out the required fee to bring in Timo Werner.

Instead came the Portugal international Jota to Anfield on the back of an impressive three-year-long spell in the Wolves shirt where he had stepped up to become one of Nuno Espírito Santo’s most influential figures on the pitch.

The forward’s impact for his new colours in front of the goal was instant and fans called for his selection week in and week out with the likes of Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane, both of whom endured their most under-fire campaigns at Anfield, coming under the scanner of the watchful eye of Jurgen Klopp.

Klopp’s plans to formulate a four-man frontline with Jota lining up alongside the usual trio did not give the results that were intended with the Reds suffering setbacks on the defensive front with only two players slotting in at the central midfield roles.

Also Read – How Liverpool FC Lined-Up for Premier League 20-21 campaign [All 38 Matches]

A thigh injury midway through the season did blight Jota’s superb breakthrough as a first-team regular for Klopp but the player’s return to fitness following a two-month-long layoff coincided with Liverpool’s resurgence in form.

It was a quiet finish for Jota to his first season at Anfield owing to yet another injury niggle but with 13 goals in just 28 outings, the player is in line to make a major name for himself should he head into the forthcoming UEFA European Championships with the same form that has made him an indispensable name for Liverpool.

Mohammad Salah is once again the messiah for Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool

The Egyptian star forward was once again at his brilliant best for the Merseysiders with his 22 goals across the Premier League campaign falling just one short of the eventual Golden Boot winner Harry Kane.

Salah stood out amongst an under-fire bunch of Liverpool players when the club endured a torrid streak of form with his uncanny ability to find the back of the net coming clutch for the former Chelsea man.

The season, however, was not always a breeze for Salah who had to face some amount of ire from the Liverpool fanbase following his explosive interview to Marca suggesting that he wanted to call it quits at Anfield amid rumours of Real Madrid’s interest in him.

Speculation quickly died down as it was understood that Salah had not taken kindly to passing on the captain’s armband to the much younger name in Trent Alexander-Arnold in Jordan Henderson’s extended absence and had overlooked the Liverpool frontman.

The shock humbling at Villa Park

The then defending champions of the land made the travels to Villa Park for what was expected to be a routine fixture on the road in the early day of the new season when Liverpool looked at their very best.

However, come the end of the 90 minutes in the Midlands, Jurgen Klopp’s men had been handed a 7-2 thrashing by Dean Smith’s Villa outfit who were led by the likes of Ollie Watkins and Jack Grealish to a hugely memorable win.

Liverpool’s backline, with the first-choice name of Alisson Becker absent, were toothless when coming up against Watkins who grabbed a hat-trick against the Virgil van Dijk-Joe Gomez pairing.

Everton take the win at Anfield for the first time in 19 years

Amid Liverpool’s worsening form on home turf in February, Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton were the visitors on the rival ground, with the Toffees seeking a win at Anfield for the first time since September 1999.

It was the Merseyside Blues’ day as the hosts were unable to keep them in check over the course of the 90 minutes with Richarlison finding the back of the net in only the third minute of the match.

Everton left it quite late to put the game to bed and it was Gylfi Sigurðsson who doubled their advantage from the spot to seal a much memorable victory for Ancelotti’s men resulting in a new low for the under-fire Liverpool side.

The infamous Super League drama threatening to pit the fans against the owners

In what was an unprecedented announcement from some of the biggest clubs across the continent was the declaration of a new breakaway competition in the form of a European Super League which consisted of England’s ‘Big-Six’ along with the likes of Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and Juventus.

Fans were quick to rush outside the stadiums and express their displeasure in the most earnest of manners, revolting against the club and its owners, which further prompted the players, both from Liverpool and outside, to take a stand against the nefarious intentions.

The ever-increasing outrage prompted Liverpool’s John Henry to issue a video apology which was played down by the supporters as a timid relief measure following the American businessman’s earlier actions in helping formulate the Super League of which Liverpool was to be one of the founding member clubs.

Old Trafford becomes a happy hunting ground for the Reds (finally)

A first win was claimed at Old Trafford for Liverpool in nearly seven years as Jurgen Klopp’s men came from behind to secure a 4-2 scoreline in the latter stages of the Premier League campaign.

The victory over their arch-rivals was pivotal for Liverpool who edged closer to the top-four in their pursuit of Champions League football for the upcoming season.

What was even more important for the Liverpool fans was seeing their beloved side emerge triumphant over Ole Gunnar Solskajer’s Manchester United on their own turf in what was arguably their best-ever domestic campaign since Sir Alex Ferguson left the helm.

Alisson emerges the match-winner and the hero for Liverpool at the Hawthorns

With the clock ticking into the end of stoppage time and Liverpool drawing level with the relegated West Brom, Klopp’s men were awarded a corner in what was expected to be the final kick of the game.

Up came Alisson Becker despite some protests from his teammates and the Brazilian goalkeeper, left unmarked by the West Brom defenders, nodded in the ball in a striker-like fashion to win the match for his side in what was a tremendous boost to their top-four hopes.

Alisson became only the sixth goalkeeper in Premier League history to get his name on the scoresheet and the first to score from a header and a match-winning strike.

His heroics won him the Liverpool’s Goal of the Season accolade in what was an inspiring conclusion to an otherwise misfiring campaign from Jurgen Klopp’s trusted custodian between the sticks.

Gini Wijnaldum says his goodbyes after a memorable five-year stay on Merseyside

The Holland international had been chased by FC Barcelona since the summer of 2020 when Liverpool confirmed the arrival of long-term target Thiago Alcantara.

Wijnaldum ended up staying put beyond that summer, but the talk was rife that he will not be extending his deal with Liverpool which expired at the end of the 2020-21 season.

It turned out to be the reality with Liverpool’s final game of the season, which came at Anfield in a 2-0 win for Klopp’s men over Crystal Palace, ending in Wijnaldum being given a farewell by the Anfield faithful as he said his goodbyes in front of a 10,000 strong crowd.

His transfer situation heading into the UEFA Euros became subject to a shocking twist as he pulled out of negotiations with FC Barcelona amid Paris Saint-Germain joining the mix to make a bumper deal to the Dutchman whose move to the Ligue 1 giants is expected to be confirmed in the very near future.

The journey ahead for Liverpool and is the 20th top-flight crown on the cards?

Jurgen Klopp will be gunning for his players to start the 2021-22 season on the same note on which the previous campaign came to a delightful conclusion with the Merseysiders assured of a Champions League berth.

The Liverpool boss will keep an eye on his players partaking in the Euros with the fitness levels of such names critical to the German coach whose side endured a devastating crisis last time around.

Liverpool’s title defence this past season was not at all what was anticipated by the majority of those at the club and Jordan Henderson and Co. will hope to make things right heading into the new season.

Whether Henderson lifts the Premier League trophy come May 2022 remains to be seen but every Liverpool fan will be hopeful of their team coming level on the record number of league titles alongside their familiar foes Manchester United.

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