Liverpool’s slim Champions League qualification hopes were all but ended despite Roberto Firmino’s last-gasp equaliser as the Reds were held to a 1-1 draw by Aston Villa on Saturday.
The Brazilian, who, along with James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Naby Keita, will leave the club at the end of the season, marked his final Anfield appearance with a goal off the bench to earn Liverpool a share of the spoils and keep their top four hopes mathematically alive. However, Jurgen Klopp’s men would need to beat Southampton on the final day of the season, with one of Manchester United and Newcastle United losing both of their two remaining games, to sneak into the Champions League places.
With four club legends who have won everything there is to win at Anfield set to depart, it was understandably an emotional day in Liverpool’s final home game of the campaign. And while there was plenty to pick out as Firmino, Milner, Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Milner were all honoured post-match, here are some of the moments you might have missed during the game…
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Cross Klopp
Serving a one-game touchline ban, Jurgen Klopp was forced to oversee proceedings from the hospitality section in the Main Stand as his Liverpool side were left frustrated by Aston Villa.
Although mic’d up to Vitor Matos and the Reds bench, it was clear to see the German was equally frustrated as Villa used every trick in the book to time-waste from start to finish in an attempt to disrupt Liverpool’s play.
As a result, a combined total of 15 minutes was added on at the end of either half, giving Klopp plenty of time to get down to the dressing room for his half-time team-talk and the post-match lap of honour.
Yet he left it late to run down at the interval. And with his side growing increasingly frustrated, he was on his feet, staring on in annoyance, inevitably wishing to be closer to the action to scream instructions directly at his players, for a considerable period during the first half. Usually one of the most animated managers in world football, he’ll be itching to be back on the sidelines for the trip to Southampton on the final day of the season, no doubt.
Steven Gerrard taunts
Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard started the season as Aston Villa manager, but was sacked in October after a 3-0 defeat left the Villans 17th in the table, outside the relegation on goals scored alone. Since then, Unai Emery has overseen a remarkable transformation with the West Midlands outfit now fighting for European qualification.
As a result, Gerrard is not the most popular man at Villa Park, with their travelling supporters taking the opportunity to taunt the former Reds captain at every opportunity.
First they were quick to remind Anfield about Gerrard’s infamous slip, and how he gave the ball to Demba Ba, before declaring, ‘Steven Gerrard, what a w***er, what a w***er!’ Meanwhile, they’d also throw in a chant, asking if, ‘You’d ever seen Steven Gerrard win the league?’
It would seem Villa fans, in truth like the majority of Premier League fans, haven’t realised such a chant lost its impact at Anfield when Liverpool won the title themselves back in 2020.
Lucas Digne prompts Unai Emery fume
Former Everton defender Lucas Digne understandably wasn’t afforded the warmest of welcomes from the Anfield crowd. Suffering a back injury in the first half, although he would play on, chants of ‘Blue and white s***e’ ensured he was afforded no sympathy from Kopites.
The Frenchman would be forced off in the second half after being on the receiving end of a second knock to the back, but with Aston Villa’s time-wasting already most prominent, the Anfield crowd were not impressed with his lengthy time spent in a heap on the floor before slowing walking off to be replaced.
Yet the left-back left his own manager fuming, as well as home supporters, when initially suffering the injury in the first half. Staying down inside his own penalty as play resumed further upfield, Emery was livid that play wasn’t stopped once Liverpool went on the attack. Annoyingly, the Reds did not spot the injured Digne, so there was no effort to play one long ball over the top to take advantage of the extra space being onside.
Running out of his dugout and jumping up and down, the animated Emery’s animated antics did stop when Villa won back possession, with Digne still down injured, and went on the counter-attack themselves. Funny that.
The defender then earned fresh boos when he belatedly got back to his feet, before sprinting upfield to join the attack. Surprise, surprise.
Firmino love-in
It wasn’t just Liverpool fans, players, and staff that were paying tribute to Roberto Firmino on Saturday, even a couple of Aston Villa players did too!
Fellow South American Emiliano Buendia gave the forward a big hug as the two warmed up at the same time during the first half, while fellow Brazil international also embraced Firmino as soon as he was brought on in the second half before play resumed.
Meanwhile, after scoring while there would be no trademark celebration from the Brazilian as he looked to quickly restart the play, just dropping to his knees and looking to the heavens instead, Virgil van Dijk at least raced over to perform the forward's kung-fu kicks that we have all grown accustomed to. The Dutchman was certainly much happier than he had been moments earlier as a result, when he had pushed Boubacar Kamara to the floor in frustration.
It doesn’t matter who you are, you can’t not love Bobby Firmino with the Brazilian never failing to put a smile on your face!
Lijnders breaks the rules
Jurgen Klopp might not have been able to be an animated figure on the sidelines due to his touchline ban, but assistant manager Pep Lijnders was, at one point at least, as Liverpool chased a late goal.
Winning a throw-in in the final third, the Dutchman sprinted out of the technical area in an attempt to retrieve the ball ahead of the ball assistant, before pointing and screaming which player he wanted it thrown to as he demanded a quick restart.
He avoided a telling-off for his troubles, with managers and coaches not supposed to leave the technical area during the game. You wonder if the officials would have been so forgiving to Klopp following the German’s own recent misdemeanours.
Alisson snubs Kop
With 10 minutes of stoppage-time added on after Roberto Firmino’s equaliser, Liverpool attacked in vain in search of a late winner as they looked to keep their top four hopes very much alive.
When awarded a late free-kick, the Kop even started chanting Alisson’s name, encouraging the Brazilian to race forward, join the attack, and try and replicate his West Brom winner from two years ago. Alas, he ignored the request.
It would seem, while top four isn’t officially over, Liverpool’s dressing room know they have left themselves too much to do this time around.
Meanwhile, the Kop, when not serenading Firmino, would also take the opportunity to start counting how long it took goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez to resume play on numerous occasions. The serial time-waster would eventually be booked for such antics, though that didn’t stop further attempts to delay the play. While supporters screamed for a second yellow card, referee John Brooks was left unmoved.
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