Liverpool narrowly missed out on the Premier League title despite claiming a win over Wolves on the final day of the season.
The Reds won 3-1 at Anfield thanks to goals from Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson. Despite this, they finished one point behind Manchester City after the champions came from behind to win 3-2 at home to Aston Villa.
Liverpool will now turn their attentions to this weekend's Champions League final against Real Madrid in Paris with manager Jurgen Klopp hoping Thiago Alcantara will be fit after the midfielder came off injured against Wolves.
ANALYSIS: Mohamed Salah sends Real Madrid message as Thiago concern grows
COMMENT: Manchester United have just shown how far they’ve fallen with Liverpool taunts
Plenty of national media outlets were in attendance to watch Sunday's match. And here is a round-up of what they, along with our own Paul Gorst, had to say.
Andy Hunter, via The Guardian
“The FA and Carabao Cups accompanied Liverpool on a lap of honour worthy of the description, along with an unmistakable sense of regret. They were close, so close, and could not have done more on the final day to deliver title number 20 and the domestic treble. A former favourite of Jürgen Klopp from his Borussia Dortmund days kept it out of reach.
“Anfield dared to believe in the unprecedented quadruple and an astonishing climax to the Premier League season until a small eruption occurred in the corner of the stadium in the 81st minute. It was Wolves’ fans announcing news of Ilkay Gündogan’s late winner for Manchester City against Aston Villa, and Liverpool’s heartbreak. Liverpool responded by breaking Wolves’ impressive second-half resistance with late goals from Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson.
"Victory ensured Klopp’s team ended the campaign with the only unbeaten home record in the Premier League and a remarkable 92 points. In 24 of the past 29 seasons that would have been enough to win the league. It is the third‑highest points total in Liverpool’s history, the fourth when converting the 42-game 1978-79 season to three points for a win.”
Paul Joyce, via The Times
“For a brief, tantalising moment hope had flared for Liverpool. Mohamed Salah had just scrambled Jürgen Klopp’s side into the lead and the throaty roar that accompanied his goal was quickly followed by another deafening crescendo which whipped and reverberated around Anfield.
“The rousing din carried with it the rumour that Aston Villa had come from behind to equalise against Manchester City and, with time running out, created the scenario Liverpool required in order to become champions.
“Then as quickly as the noise had risen, it disappeared just as sharply. There had, in fact, been no goal. Reality would bite hard.”
Sam Wallace, via The Telegraph
“There was no mistaking the mood, the wonder that it might happen, that suddenly the eyes of the world had swivelled to this part of Merseyside, especially for those seven minutes when Manchester City found themselves two behind, and that the Premier League title might have been Liverpool’s for a single goal. That was a wild time: a sense in the Liverpool crowd that a unique moment in history was within grasp. Just one goal – from a team that had already scored 92 goals by that point.
“It was also a chaotic period, or at least compared to the kind of control with which Jurgen Klopp’s players usually exert. The stakes were so high and events must have felt so surreal, with one of the greatest teams in history somehow losing to Aston Villa, and an astonishing opportunity there to be taken. Yet Liverpool did summon the goals to win this game, their 19th league match since the turn of the year – no defeats, this their 16th victory – and yet by then the world had already turned once more on its axis.
“When the substitute Mohamed Salah edged the second Liverpool goal over the line with six minutes left, the goal that would stake his dual claim on the league’s golden boot this season, he celebrated with the kind of raw joy that suggested he felt that there was still a chance. But at City three goals had been scored in six minutes. The 14-point lead that City had held over Liverpool in January had been whittled down to one but the clock had stopped, the chase had ended and the Premier League trophy that had been brought to Anfield just in case, was still in its box.”
Michael Jones, via The Independent
“Liverpool’s bid for an unprecedented quadruple of major trophies ended in agonising fashion on Sunday despite coming from behind to beat Wolves 3-1 on the final day of the Premier League. Jurgen Klopp’s team also needed Manchester City to drop points against Aston Villa — managed by Liverpool great Steven Gerrard — and the leaders recovered from two goals down to win 3-2 in a dramatic finale at Etihad .
“Liverpool finished a point behind City — just like in the 2018-19 season — and missed out on a record-tying 20th English league championship.
“It is still an extraordinary season for Liverpool, who won both the FA Cup and League Cup and will play in the Champions League final against Real Madrid next weekend.”
Paul Gorst, via the Liverpool Echo
“It was a chant from the Wolves end that was supposed to be delivered in cruel tones and designed to do little but mock. "You nearly won the league, you nearly won the league," they sneered with about 10 minutes to go. That it actually ended up sounding like a compliment to Liverpool 's sheer force of will was entirely in-keeping on an Anfield afternoon where nothing was quite as it seemed. For the third time, Jurgen Klopp will break the 90-point barrier as manager, but like 2019 - when a whopping 97 was the final total - another magnificent haul of 92 is not enough to bring them a Premier League title.
“At times, it seemed as though the only thing stopping them securing a 20th championship was their own anxiety as they laboured while Manchester City, astonishingly, trailed 2-0 to Steven Gerrard's Aston Villa. For the football romantics, however, there would be a fate much more hurtful than the laughable attempts from the Wolves faithful to rile their Liverpool counterparts: A Gerrard side, who doubled their advantage through Philippe Coutinho, could not survive the inevitable City onslaught. The dream quickly became a nightmare.
“The quadruple dream is finally over then. Officially. That it lasted until May 22 is testament to their skill, character and unrelenting desire.”
