Sir Alex Ferguson famously once warned, “Attack wins you games, defence wins you titles.” Well Jurgen Klopp has certainly learned that the hard way at Anfield. As good as Mohamed Salah and the rest of Liverpool’s attack are and have been in recent seasons, success has been built on an ever-improving, solid defence.
Defensive mistakes cost the German’s side in two major finals in his first year with the club, seeing them miss out on Champions League football in the process, while goalkeeping errors then cost Liverpool dear in the 2018 Champions League final. But the arrivals of Virgil van Dijk, Alisson and Fabinho instilled the strongest of spines into the Reds to accelerate their transformation into English, European and world champions.
A defensive injury crisis and personal tragedy saw Liverpool robbed of that spine for a significant proportion of last season as their Premier League title defence swiftly crumbled. Yet restored to Klopp’s side this year, and at the peak of their powers once more, and the Reds are back to their best.
