Arguably one of the biggest compliments that could be paid towards Jurgen Klopp’s impact at Liverpool, is it being unfathomable the idea of a lack of European football.
When Klopp first walked through the doors at Anfield in October 2015, the Reds were in the Europa League and looking to reignite past glory with a campaign to be proud of on the continent. In the end, the final in Basel finished in disappointment for a number of reasons.
The obvious one is, of course, losing a final. The other was it meant that Liverpool would be competing the following season without any European football at all, after finishing eighth in the Premier League.
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So then came the 2016/17 season, and the first campaign where Klopp’s true impact at Liverpool would be tested. No trophies may have come that year, but a real chance of a top four finish was on the cards.
As the season progressed and reached the closing weeks, Liverpool were in a strong position to secure Champions League football. Arsenal were breathing heavily down their necks, while Manchester United were also in the mix, while Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Man City were never in danger of dropping out.
For Liverpool, as the season reached the decisive month of May, a tricky test at a new venue emerged. The Reds travelled to West Ham away at the (relatively) brand new London Stadium on this day in 2017.
Klopp’s men went into the match in fourth place and just a single point ahead of fifth-placed Arsenal, who would have a game in hand after Liverpool faced the Hammers. Claiming a win at their first visit to the London Stadium was imperative for the Reds who were desperate to secure qualification to European football’s elite cup competition.
On a sunny Sunday afternoon in the capital, it was Liverpool in their neon green kit that shone the brightest. After a relatively even half an hour, Daniel Sturridge was played in by Philippe Coutinho, who rounded West Ham goalkeeper Adrian to put the Reds into a lead.
Things could have been different, though, had Andre Ayew worn his shooting boots. With the ball falling to his feet a mere yard from goal, he somehow managed to hit the post with his effort as Liverpool escaped and held onto their lead, but only just.
That miss certainly surprised Klopp. “They had chances to score but they couldn’t score,” said the Reds boss after the match. “They had one of the biggest chances I ever saw in my life and didn’t score it."
The second half was much more eventful, and to a large extent controversial. It was Coutinho who again provided the spark with a trademark run through the Hammers defence before firing his effort low into the bottom corner. 2-0 to Liverpool and cruising to a top four spot.
It was soon 3-0 with Coutinho on the scoresheet again, but this is where the controversy came in. While defending a set piece, West Ham appealed for a handball after it seemed to hit Gini Wijnaldum on the arm while he vied for a header. Liverpool went up the other end and scored, leaving Hammers boss Slaven Bilic protesting to the officials on the sidelines.
Divock Origi came off the bench to make it 4-0 to Liverpool in the latter stages. It left the Reds four points clear in the top four, with fifth-placed Arsenal having a game in hand.
Bilic was far from happy after the game. But he did reserve praise for two Liverpool players in particular. "We were nowhere near close enough to players like Sturridge and [Adam] Lallana, and eventually they'll kill you," said Bilic.
The race for Champions League qualification would go down to the final day of the season, with Liverpool needing to better Arsenal’s result when they played Middlesbrough.
A 3-0 victory would follow, in what has become a key victory in Liverpool’s recent history. While that win against Middlesbrough was vital to securing a top four finish, the three points gained on that sunny day at the London Stadium was just as important.
The rest, as some might say, is history.
