Thomas Tuchel’s team equal their rivals for the fourth time this season but the Reds are rolling on towards a historic campaignSometimes a miss really is as good as a mile. Wembley was a fevered place at the end of this gruelling, apparently endless FA Cup final. As the Liverpool players capered at the eastern end of the ground, lost in a fog of red smoke, tumbling and rolling on the grass in front of a stand that seemed a single mess of limbs and light and noise, the contrast in the other half of the pitch was unavoidably stark.Chelsea’s players sat, bereft, on the turf as the end behind them emptied out. And at that moment these two entities...
Liverpool and Chelsea clash at Wembley on Saturday with a rich history of Cup success in today’s changing landscapeAh, the Cup final. All that pomp and ceremony, the classic rites, the time-honoured rituals. The tingle of anticipation as we approach the sacred 4.45pm kick-off. A bespoke set from the world-famous house DJ Pete Tong in the buildup. Banners and placards honouring the competition’s airline sponsor. The traditional taking of the knee. And then, after a peep of Craig Pawson’s whistle, a football match played almost entirely without conventional strikers.One of the greatest misconceptions about the FA Cup over the years is that it has failed to move with the times. In fact, ever since the first final at the Kennington...
The midfielder, something of a forgotten man at Anfield on occasion, has found his place this season and his energy has helped to drive Jürgen Klopp’s sideBy the end, Alisson was trying to waste time. Sadio Mané was listlessly dribbling the ball into the corner in an attempt to burn away a few more seconds. Deep into injury time Naby Keïta started rolling around on the turf in apparent agony. Was it a cruciate? A broken leg? A debilitating muscle tear that would put him out for the season? Happily, as a victorious Keïta disappeared into the embrace of his teammates just a few seconds later, we have to conclude that he may just survive the night.Curiously, given his famously...
Tottenham’s twin spearheads underline their star quality to hand Manchester City the advantage over rivals LiverpoolWith 56 minutes gone, as the sky began to fade from powder blue to black, Emerson Royal pumped a hopeful pass into the empty air above the roof-lights, seeking out Harry Kane, who craned his neck, adjusting his feet, reading the arc.At that point the game seemed to fall apart a little. For almost an hour this had been a close, stifling game. Just before half-time Liverpool had applied one of those periods of surge-football, where they seem to be playing out of the same red mist, winning the ball back repeatedly, forcing the Spurs players to sweat and puff and turn a little dizzy....
Crunch time for Manchester City, Liverpool and Spurs, while Watford could be sent downFor the second week in a row, Liverpool can get their work done before sitting back to see how Manchester City fare. The extent of any European bounce or, in City’s case, hangover may be hard to predict but Jürgen Klopp’s men have certainly built up a fearsome head of steam to carry into the final four games. Like Liverpool, Spurs have a rival sitting just above them who, by and large, keep on winning: falling five points behind Arsenal this weekend could prove very costly going into Thursday’s north London derby and it adds to the sense that neither team can really afford anything but victory...