Jurgen Klopp has explained how over six years on from a crushing defeat to Chelsea in the 2013/14 title bid, Liverpool’s “circle closes” with the trophy lift at Anfield.
It was laughably small-time when the Chelsea social media team decided to post a throwback to Steven Gerrard‘s slip and the 2-0 loss at Anfield in 2014 on Tuesday.
The club have since deleted the post, no doubt acknowledging the gap between them and the Premier League champions—30 points to be precise, heading into tonight’s clash.
Chelsea are the Reds’ final opponents at home this season, and the fixture will be followed by a lavish title presentation, with Liverpool pulling out all the stops despite fans not being permitted to attend.
It is the moment some have been waiting 30 years for, and though for Klopp it has been only five, for Jordan Henderson the route has been particularly rough, as the only lasting member of that side from 2014.
Reflecting on the time between that moment and the title lift at Anfield, the manager described it as “just a really nice story” as “the circle closes”—not only from 2014, but also 1990.
“It’s great, it’s wonderful. I could talk for a whole hour about why it’s so deserving for Hendo to lift the trophy and everybody here sees it exactly the same,” Klopp said.
“I thought it’s really funny, because of course we were happy that he’s not that seriously injured that he can be part of the celebrations.
“But I heard that when Liverpool won the title the last time, the skipper was injured as well.
“Did you know that? Alan Hansen was injured, he had a knee problem.
“So the circle closes if you want. It’s the best possible thing that could happen.
“I’m really happy that it’s exactly like this. It’s just a really nice story. And Hendo had to be patient to put it right. But he did it.”
Henderson’s red card in the 3-2 win over Man City was arguably the biggest catalyst for the Reds’ failure to clinch the title under Brendan Rodgers.
The midfielder was in exceptional form, with his energy in the midfield diamond providing the counterbalance for Philippe Coutinho and Raheem Sterling, whose creativity and thrust helped forge an unstoppable attack.
Now captain, the 30-year-old can lift the trophy he has so coveted since then, with this just one of many stories that highlight the desperation and glory of the club’s three decades in waiting.
Klopp understands this, with the manager finding it hard to disguise his joy in the buildup to a meeting that could still have big ramifications on Chelsea‘s bid to qualify for the Champions League.
They may still be fighting for something, but Liverpool have finally achieved what they have been fighting for for 30 years, and Henderson is the perfect man to spearhead this moment.
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