Liverpool welcome Arsenal to Anfield on Sunday in what will feel like a game where the roles have been reversed.
Unlike in recent years, it is the Gunners who are going for the Premier League title, and the Reds who face the prospect of missing out on Champions League football.
Mikel Arteta's men have already beaten Jurgen Klopp's side once this season - 3-2 at the Emirates back in October. It was Arsenal's first victory over Liverpool in all competitions for two years. But on Sunday they look to end a proper hoodoo as they have not won in the league at Anfield since September 2012.
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Since then there has been some cracking contests between the two teams - with one being Klopp's first game against the Gunners as Liverpool manager in January 2016.
Roberto Firmino got a brilliant early brace but the Reds were pegged back firstly by Aaron Ramsey then by Olivier Giroud, who then bagged his second goal of the contest to put Arsenal 3-2 in front.
But a last-minute equaliser from Joe Allen to make it 3-3 sent Klopp running down the Anfield touchline in the wind and rain, setting the tone for the heavy metal football that Kopites would see under the charismatic German.
The point at the time took the Gunners to the top of the table and left the Reds ninth - which, ironically enough, is near enough the same positions they occupy in the current Premier League standings (Klopp's side are eighth).
So where are the Liverpool team from that dramatic day?
Simon Mignolet
The Belgium international left the Reds in 2019 after several years of never fully convincing to be the number one. After being displaced by Alisson in the 2018/19 season, Mignolet stayed as the back-up goalkeeper and was a part of the 2019 Champions League-winning squad. He left to go back to Belgium, joining Club Brugge, and has had success there, winning the league title three times while also winning the Belgium Super Cup twice. At 35 years of age, Mignolet remains their number-one choice.
Nathaniel Clyne
When Clyne was signed from Southampton he was regarded as one of the most promising full-backs in the league and he started well at Liverpool, but due to injuries and the emergence of Trent Alexander-Arnold his Anfield career dwindled. However, Clyne did manage to make more than 100 appearances for the club before he re-joined Crystal Palace after he was released. Clyne is still at Palace and competes for the right-back role with Joel Ward.
Kolo Toure
A much-loved figure at the club due to his song and fantastic personality, even if he didn’t set the world alight during his three seasons at the club. Toure was eventually released at the end of the 2015/16 season and joined Celtic. Having retired at the Scottish giants, he took up a coaching role with Brendan Rodgers, following his old Liverpool boss to Leicester City. The former Ivory Coast international took his first step into management this season, taking charge of Wigan Athletic, but he didn’t last more than two months as he was sacked after failing to win any of his nine games in charge.
Mamadou Sakho
An £18m arrival from Paris Saint-Germain, Sakho will always be remembered for his slightly erratic defending and also for how he was harshly suspended for the Europa League final in 2016 when he was found guilty of taking a fat burner, which wasn’t even on the banned substance list. Sakho was initially sent out on loan to Crystal Palace in January 2017 after he was demoted to the development squad due to not respecting the rules on the summer pre-season tour. He later joined Palace permanently for a fee of £24m and spent four years at the club. The Frenchman has been at Ligue 1 club Montpellier for the last two seasons.
Alberto Moreno
Another erratic defender who had a more infamous game against Arsenal than this one. Moreno was Klopp’s starting left-back going into his first full season but after the opening match - a 4-3 win at the Emirates - James Milner was preferred. The Spaniard left after losing his place again to Andy Robertson and he joined Villareal in 2019. Moreno scored a penalty in the 2019 Europa League final against Manchester United and screamed ‘Manchester United get out’ on an Instagram live after, so he is remembered fondly. Unfortunately though, he missed Liverpool’s Champions League semi-final last season against Villareal through injury.
James Milner
One of Liverpool's best-ever free transfers, Milner is still at the club as the vice-captain, having won everything he possibly could. At 37, his future at Anfield is debated by fans, but his contract is up this summer with an extension looking like a possibility.
Jordan Henderson
Like Milner, Henderson is still at Liverpool as the club captain. He will go down as the skipper who led the Reds to every trophy possible in the Klopp era but he may get knocked down the pecking order in the summer with potential new signings.
Adam Lallana
The much-loved midfielder was a key player at the start of Klopp’s reign but unfortunate injuries meant that he couldn’t continue being a first-choice. Lallana, a neighbour of Klopp's at the time, won the Champions League and the Premier League before leaving when his contract was up to join Brighton & Hove Albion in 2020. He is still at The Seagulls and is a popular figure with their fans just like he was with Liverpool’s.
Emre Can
Can left Liverpool in 2018 after not signing a contract extension. He joined Serie A giants Juventus and won the Serie A title but in his second season he was left out of their Champions League squad, signalling the end of his time in Turin. The midfielder is currently at Borussia Dortmund, who he re-joined at the start of 2020. He is a key player for Dortmund, who are fighting for the Bundesliga title.
Jordon Ibe
Once deemed as the next big thing coming out of Liverpool’s youth ranks, the winger never hit the heights many thought he would. He joined Bournemouth in 2016 for a then record fee of £15m with Liverpool putting a buy-back and sell-on clause in his contract in case he reached his potential. Ibe left Bournemouth in 2020 on a free transfer to join Derby County, where he only made one appearance as he admitted he was suffering from depression. Currently he is without a club after leaving Turkish second division side Adanaspor last year.
Roberto Firmino
A current Liverpool legend, Firmino is into his final 10 games as a Red after announcing he would leave the club at the end of this season. He will go down as one of the most-loved players by fans after Klopp built the team around him. His brace against Arsenal in this game was a sign of things to come as he went onto score 10 against them. Little wonder Gunners fans hope he doesn't start on Sunday.
Danny Ward
The first of the seven substitutes, the Wales international has just lost his place as Leicester's number one after failing to ever make the grade at Anfield.
Steven Caulker
Signed as emergency defensive cover, yet Caulker played more games upfront for Liverpool as an emergency striker. He is now at Wigan Athletic after a successful spell in Turkey with several different teams. Also, now a Sierra Leone international.
Brad Smith
Like Ibe, Smith was sold to Bournemouth with some hope that he may come good, hence why the Reds put a buy-back clause in his contract. That didn’t happen and he now plays for Houston Dynamo, his third MLS team.
Lucas Leiva
The Liverpool cult hero went on to have some successful years after he left in 2017, being a mainstay in the Lazio side and winning the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana twice. Started this campaign back with Gremio in Brazil but only last month he had to announce his retirement due to a heart-related condition.
Joe Allen
Hero of the night. Allen’s delicate volley secured a point for Liverpool in the dramatic game six years ago. In Klopp’s first half of season, the Wales international wasn’t a starter, so in the summer he joined Stoke City. After a good start at the Potters, some mixed seasons followed, and now the once-called ‘Welsh Xavi’ is back at his first side, Swansea City.
Joao Teixeira
A silky Portuguese attacking midfielder, Teixeira had bags of potential but didn’t show it, something national compatriot Fabio Carvalho will be hoping to avoid. After spells in Portugal, Holland and Qatar he now finds himself in China with Shanghai Shenhua.
Christian Benteke
The big striker got the assist for Allen in this game, but he was never truly fancied by Klopp even though he scored eight goals for the German. Sold to Crystal Palace in Klopp’s first summer transfer window, Benteke is now at DC United, who are managed by Wayne Rooney.
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