Liverpool’s Preseason Woe: A Foreboding Omen Strikes Just Ahead of Premier League Opener
Liverpool supporters, filled with hope and determination after a disappointing previous Premier League campaign, have already been confronted with an unsettling premonition. Jurgen Klopp’s formidable squad clinched the FA Cup and Carabao Cup in the 2021/22 season, tantalizingly close to adding the prestigious Premier League and Champions League trophies to their illustrious collection.
Heartbreakingly, a remarkable comeback by Manchester City on the season’s final day dashed Liverpool’s title aspirations, while European juggernauts Real Madrid secured a narrow 1-0 victory in the Champions League final. Everything appeared perfectly aligned for Liverpool to reignite their rivalry with City in the forthcoming 2022/23 season, but fate had other plans.
Klopp’s side grappled with inconsistency throughout the season, notably exhibiting vulnerabilities in defense. Their Champions League dreams were shattered in the round of 16, suffering a resounding 6-2 aggregate defeat against Real Madrid, a team that City subsequently dismantled a few months later.
In the Premier League, the Reds mustered only a fifth-place finish, relegating them to the Europa League for the upcoming season, a competition they haven’t participated in since 2015/16. Nevertheless, armed with a talented roster and the astute leadership of Klopp, Liverpool fans remain ever-optimistic as they approach a fresh season, harboring lofty expectations.
Regrettably, the unveiling of the 2023/24 Premier League fixture list has unearthed a disquieting pattern. Liverpool finds themselves facing a familiar adversary on the season’s decisive final day. Anfield will once again host Wolverhampton Wanderers, marking the third occurrence in the past six years. Although Liverpool emerged victorious in both previous encounters, these bittersweet victories ultimately fell short of clinching the Premier League title, with City triumphing by a mere point.
Recalling the final day of the 2018/19 campaign, where a Sadio Mane brace proved insufficient as City secured a 4-1 victory against Brighton, Liverpool supporters express a sense of déjà vu. That season, Liverpool won an impressive 30 matches, accumulating 97 points—the highest ever earned by a team without claiming the title. History repeated itself three years later, as a 3-1 triumph on the final day once again proved insufficient, with City sealing a comeback win against Aston Villa.
On social media, Liverpool fans voiced their discontent. One disillusioned supporter lamented, “It feels like we play Wolves at home on the last day of the season every other year!” Another despondently remarked, “We’ll win all 38 games and still somehow miss out, won’t we?” A devoted fan pleaded, “Lord, grant me strength and courage, for it is the third time in the last six seasons, and we have lost the league by a solitary point on both occasions.” Echoing the prevailing apprehension, another prophesied, “We’ll fall short of the title by a solitary point once more.”