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Rodgers' Reds: Class is Permanent

The journey of Brendan Rodgers as he aims to bring Liverpool back to where they belong.
Started on 14 January 2015 by Glenn T
Latest Reply on 28 October 2015 by Maximus
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Young Iron




Liverpool have completed a £16.5 million deal for West Ham academy product Ryan Joseph, and the 16-year-old will now continue his development in Liverpool's Under-18s squad.

However, Brendan Rodgers' decision to splash the cash on a raw and unproven player is certain to raise some eyebrows, especially considering that Joseph will most likely not be playing in the first team for years to come.

Despite this, there is no doubt that the right-back is one of the most exciting talents currently in the country, and has already wowed Premier League viewers in 2 appearances for his boyhood club West Ham.

Joseph, a Hammers fan from young, was born in Trinidad & Tobago before moving to England, meaning he is eligible to represent either country in the future. The promising wonderkid is already capped at Under-19 level for England.

Ryan Joseph
Age: 16
Squad Number: 34
Position: Right Back

/



Rodgers spoke to local media about the signing at Anfield, in a press conference unveiling Joseph as a Liverpool player.

"I'm pleased to have a player of Ryan's ability on board with us here at Liverpool," said the Reds boss. "We have been interested in him ever since watching him play for West Ham. He is a fantastic young footballer and will hopefully stay here for years to come. I'm really looking forward to watching him develop.

"Of course we had to pay a bit of a pricey fee and no one wants to be spending that kind of money on a 16-year-old. But I'm confident that we will be repaid more than double that by his performances a few years down the road."

Rodgers also took the time to speak about the rest of his potential transfer business for the month.

"No, I don't think we will be signing anymore players this month," he said. "We have a good team and I don't feel that reinforcements are needed in any area at the moment.

"I also have no intention of allowing any of my players to leave at such a crucial time in the season."

January 2017

The new year brought with it a run of form for Liverpool as they passed through the month of January unbeaten in all competitions, picking up a 100 percent win rate and regaining their hold on the summit of the Premier League. Rodgers' boys also made it to the League Cup Final after demolishing Newcastle, where they will face Manchester United.




Premier League

Liverpool 4 - 0 Newcastle
Zivkovic
Coutinho
Zivkovic
Zivkovic


Man City 1 - 4 Liverpool
Balotelli
Coutinho
Sturridge
Balotelli


Stoke 1 - 4 Liverpool
Balotelli
Sturridge
Sterling
Balotelli


Liverpool 6 - 0 Burnley
Coutinho
Sturridge
Sterling
Sturridge
Sturridge
Sturridge




FA Cup Third Round

Liverpool 2 - 1 Rotherham
Skrtel
Balanta

FA Cup Fourth Round

Liverpool 5 - 0 Cardiff
Gerrard
Sterling
Sterling
Coutinho
Dean


Capital One Cup Semi Final Leg 1

Liverpool 2 - 0 Newcastle
Balotelli
Clyne

Capital One Cup Semi Final Leg 2

Newcastle 1 - 3 Liverpool
Balotelli
Coutinho
Coutinho

Liverpool January Player of the Month



Mario Balotelli has brought his form into 2017 and picked up the club's monthly award for the third time in a row. Playing in all 8 games this month, he also managed to pick up 6 goals along the way and has been an absolute monster on Liverpool's right wing.

Manager's Thoughts

A really, really superb month. To get nothing but wins for every match in a month is tough and I'm very impressed, although a team of our calibre shouldn't have been losing or drawing any of these games anyway. We played particularly well against Manchester City, and proved our superiority over them, as well as bottom-of-the-table Burnley whom we sank even further with 6 goals. But the true challenge awaits in February - we play Manchester United in the League Cup Final, and Inter Milan in the Champions League.

Injury Report




Richairo Zivkovic - 4 months (torn calf muscle)
Daniel Sturridge - 9 days (gashed leg)
Lucas Romero - 4 weeks (fractured arm)
Jordan Ibe - 2 weeks (twisted knee)

Four injuries happened this month to mar our otherwise perfect January. Lucas Romero's fractured arm looks particularly serious and Daniel Sturridge will miss out on a game or two. The real problem here though, is Richairo Zivkovic, who might not be able to play another game for the rest of the season due to a torn calf muscle suffered against Newcastle in the League Cup.
Glenn T's avatar Group Glenn T
9 yearsEdited

Capital One Cup Final 2017



It's going to be a brilliant afternoon here at Wembley Stadium, as we get to watch two top teams, and coincidentally footballing rivals, face off against each other for the 2016/17 edition of the League Cup.

Liverpool have made it to the Final of this competition for three seasons in a row under Brendan Rodgers, and lost to a rather superb Everton side last year, something that they will not wish to repeat. For Manchester United, they have already won the Community Shield and Club World Cup this season and are looking to build on their success.

Manchester United



Manchester United disposed of cup holders Everton in the Third Round and went on to beat Leicester and Sheffield Wednesday, in two fairly easy games. The Semi Final saw them play against Brentford, managed by former Liverpool defender Sami Hyypiä, but the Championship side barely gave them a challenge and were swept away on an aggregate of 5-1.



Starting 11: de Gea; Jones, Chiriches, Rojo, Vertonghen; Redmond, Fellaini, Di Maria, Tello, Herrera; Croskery
Subs: Milinkovic-Savic, Rafael, Shaw, Kovacic, Mata, Nani, Januzaj



United are without no less than three forwards for this game, with Wayne Rooney, Falcao, and Robin van Persie all absent because of one injury or another. As a result, it appears that Joachim Low has taken a gamble, choosing to start untested academy product Ruairi Croskery, who has never played a first team game in his life. There is also no place in the starting eleven for Juan Mata and Adnan Januzaj, who have arguably been two of the Red Devils' best players this season.

Liverpool



Liverpool entered the competition in spectacular fashion as they smashed Hull City 7-3, but had a harder time in the Fourth Round, relying on penalties to beat Swansea after drawing 2-2 with the Welsh club. Going on to the Quarter Final, the Reds crushed West Bromwich 6-0 and proceeded to get rid of Newcastle, ascending to the Final of the League Cup for the 14th time in their history.



Starting 11: Mignolet; Clyne, Balanta, Skrtel, Alaba; Gerrard, Ward-Prowse, Sterling; Markovic, Coutinho; Sturridge
Subs: Steele, Flanagan, Umtiti, Romero, Henderson, Ibe, Garcia



With Mamadou Sakho unavailable due to injury, Martin Skrtel earned himself a recall to the Liverpool first team, starting in defence alongside Eder Alvarez Balanta. Meanwhile, David Alaba, at left back for today, will be hoping to win his first trophy with Liverpool. In a surprise decision, vice-captain Jordan Henderson is left out of the starting eleven, with James Ward-Prowse preferred in front of Steven Gerrard. In-form Mario Balotelli will also not partake in the game because of an unfortunate injury, with his place being taken by Lazar Markovic instead.

Kickoff

0' - And here we go. Manchester United kick off the League Cup Final, we are in for a great game.

20' - The game is stopped for United to make a change, with Ruairi Croskery down and seemingly unable to continue. The debutant is replaced by Adnan Januzaj, who will assume a rather unusual striking position.

26' - Liverpool with the first chance of the match, as Lazar Markovic is fed the ball by James Ward-Prowse and has an effort, but hits the crossbar instead of the back of the net.

31' - GOAL! 1-0! Coutinho plays a fantastic ball to Sturridge, and the striker wastes no time in giving his side the lead with a well-placed shot past David de Gea.


Sturridge cannot hide his delight as he gives Liverpool the lead

32' - Manchester United look to respond as Cristian Tello makes a dangerous run into the area, but is outmuscled by Balanta.

42' - GOAL! Januzaj makes it 1-1! The Belgian loses Skrtel and gets on the receiving end of a perfect Tello pass, before firing it into goal at point blank range.


Adnan Januzaj celebrates his equaliser

43' - GOAL! Liverpool retake the lead through Coutinho, who smashes the ball into the net from a Raheem Sterling cross.

45' - HT: Man Utd 1-2 Liverpool. A rather eventful first half so far at Wembley, with Liverpool leading at the break.

45' - Liverpool kick off the second half.

69' - GOAL! Textbook football from Manchester United! Di Maria and Nathan Redmond link up superbly to get the ball past the Liverpool defence, and toward Januzaj, who beats Mignolet with his shot for his second goal of the day.


Phil Jones congratulates Januzaj on his second goal

72' - Tello gets past Nathaniel Clyne and hits it forward for the rushing Juan Mata, and the substitute almost gives United the lead, but is denied by Mignolet.

87' - GOAL! Lucas Romero, what a player! From roughly 30 yards away, the defensive midfielder latches onto a Ward-Prowse corner, striking a confident volley that is rebounded off Balanta's head and into the net. No way back for United!

90' - FT: Man Utd 2-3 Liverpool. The Reds win the tenth League Cup in their history, and becomes the first ever football team in England to hit double digits for a local competition. Simply magnificent!


Always good to see Liverpool beat United. It will definitely sound out a message of your intentions to win the league! Keep it up! YNWA!
James: Indeed! Great to beat United, especially in a cup final, although it was a really close game. YNWA to you as well my friend :)

February 2017

Two rather peculiar losses to Queens Park Rangers and Nottingham Forest in the Premier League saw Chelsea overtake Liverpool by a point in the table. A really bad time to slip up and Rodgers will be looking to make sure his team rectifies that next month. The Reds also advanced to the Sixth Round of the FA Cup, and put themselves in a commanding position in the first leg of the Champions League First Round, winning 1-2 away against Inter Milan.




Premier League

QPR 2 - 1 Liverpool
Coutinho


Nott Forest 1 - 0 Liverpool


Liverpool 7 - 0 Leicester
Coutinho
Sterling
Sturridge
Sterling
Ward-Prowse
Henderson
Sturridge


Liverpool 2 - 1 Tottenham
Sterling
Sturridge




FA Cup Fifth Round

QPR 0 - 3 Liverpool
McCarthy
Balotelli
Sturridge


Champions League First Knockout Round Leg 1

Inter 1 - 2 Liverpool
Sturridge
Handanovic


Capital One Cup Final

Man Utd 2 - 3 Liverpool
Sturridge
Coutinho
Balanta

Liverpool February Player of the Month



Daniel Sturridge has been wowing the fans this month. The England striker was kept quiet against Queens Park Rangers and Nottingham Forest, but struck back for the rest of February, scoring at least one goal in every other fixture, ending with 6 goals in 6 appearances and earning himself the Player of the Month award.

Manager's Thoughts

Two very, very stupid losses in the league against sides we shouldn't be dropping any points against, but the damage has been done and we just have to press on for the rest of the season. Chelsea are extremely capable of taking the title away from us and they're already a point ahead, but we still have a chance since we play them in April, although if they beat us at that point the title race is well and truly over. Negative things aside, I'm happy about our League Cup win, and I'm sure we'll be able to finish the job when Inter Milan come to Anfield next month.

Injury Report



Lucas Romero - 9 days (gashed leg)
Mario Balotelli - 3 months (torn calf muscle)

The news that Mario Balotelli is likely not able to play a game for the rest of the season is a huge blow for Liverpool and Brendan Rodgers, who will greatly miss the Italian for important games in the Champions League and the Premier League's title run-in.

Sixth Round Defeat




Liverpool have dropped out of the FA Cup, losing to a lively Tottenham Hotspur side at White Hart Lane.

The defeat means that Liverpool will not be competing in a domestic cup final for the first time since 2014 and is a huge blow to Brendan Rodgers' side, who had already won the League Cup and were harboring hopes of repeating their 2014/15 feat of a domestic treble.



Tottenham were helped along the way by the superb Edin Dzeko, with the Bosnian smashing his opponents to pieces with a hat trick.

Dzeko arrived last summer from Manchester City on a player exchange deal, with midfielder Mousa Dembele going the other way to the Etihad. He has not been spectacular, but definitely brought his A-game to the FA Cup this game, and will be bringing home the match ball.

Erik Lamela, who has been a revelation for a Tottenham this season, came on as a substitute and scored the winning goal in the 79th minute to knock Liverpool out.


Edin Dzeko's superb hat trick smashed Liverpool to pieces

Raheem Sterling's 43rd-minute strike and a Steven Gerrard penalty helped the Reds to level the game after Dzeko's first-half brace, but they were back to being 2 goals down soon after, and despite Daniel Sturridge scoring to keep hopes of forcing a replay alive, it proved too late for Liverpool.

"It's disappointing to be out of the FA Cup at this stage," admitted Rodgers in the post-match press conference. "I think we played and responded well after going down to their goals and we deserved to at least go away with a replay. Hopefully we can win it again next year."

With the FA Cup out of the way, Liverpool will have to concentrate on the only knockout tournament remaining for them. The Merseyside club host Inter Milan at Anfield next week for the second leg of the First Round, and are currently leading on a 2-1 aggregate.

Meanwhile, Tottenham will progress to the Semi Final of the cup to play against either Arsenal, Everton, or Manchester City.

March 2017

Liverpool were knocked out of the FA Cup this month by Tottenham, but also returned to the Quarter Finals of the Champions League after beating Inter on an impressive aggregate of 6-2. With Chelsea failing to make any mistake so far, Rodgers' boys remain stagnant at 2nd place, but will be looking to rectify that when they host the Blues at Anfield next month.




Premier League

West Ham 1 - 4 Liverpool
Sterling
Sturridge
Sturridge
Sturridge


Man Utd 1 - 2 Liverpool
Markovic
Ward-Prowse


Liverpool 3 - 0 Norwich
Markovic
Ward-Prowse
Ward-Prowse




FA Cup Sixth Round

Tottenham 4 - 3 Liverpool
Sterling
Gerrard
Sturridge


Champions League First Knockout Round Leg 2

Liverpool 4 - 1 Inter
Henderson
Sturridge
Garcia
Umtiti

Liverpool March Player of the Month



James Ward-Prowse is being talked up as one of the favorites to win the PFA Young Player of the Year award, and with good reason. The versatile midfielder has gone on from strength to strength since joining Liverpool and produced one of his best ever monthly performances, winning the Man of the Match award no less than three times against Manchester United, Inter Milan, and Norwich.

Manager's Thoughts

Dropping out of the FA Cup was obviously disappointing but the Champions League is what I'm really targeting this season so I'm pleased that we're still in that. Inter certainly didn't give us that much of a challenge but it only gets harder from here, with most of Europe's top clubs still in the competition, all of which could give us very, very tough games. We're progressing well in the league after our blunders last month, and we will have a chance to address those mistakes when we play against Chelsea in April.

Injury Report



Nathaniel Clyne - 8 days (gashed leg)
Philippe Coutinho - 3 weeks (pulled hamstring)
Lazar Markovic - 10 days (damaged elbow)
Glenn T's avatar Group Glenn T
9 yearsEdited

Champions League Quarter Final Draw

We're back to that time of the season, where eight teams remain in the most prestigious European competition. The First Round brought upsets, with Spanish football getting slain completely. Real Madrid lost to Bayern Munich, while Paris Saint-Germain got an unexpected win over Barcelona and Atletico found themselves getting run over by in-form Chelsea. Last but not least, Valencia also dropped out, against a brilliant FC Porto.

Teams
Chelsea
Bayern Munich
FC Porto
Paris Saint-Germain
Manchester United
Juventus
Liverpool
Borussia Dortmund

Paris Saint-Germain vs Bayern Munich



Paris Saint-Germain have been starved for more European action since last season, where they were knocked out of the Champions League in just the First Round by Liverpool, and showed just how hungry they were for success by triumphing over Barcelona in a 2-1 aggregate win over two legs. Led by captain Edinson Cavani and talented frontman Zlatan Ibrahimovic, PSG boasts a splendid attack but are also capable of remaining responsible at the back, with Thiago Silva as a commanding presence in the middle of their defence.

Key Player: Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Bayern Munich have been disappointing in the Bundesliga all season, staying stagnant at second largely because of the resurgent Dortmund. The Bavarians made it all the way to the Semi Finals last year, but got no further than that, losing to Manchester United who then went on to win the Champions League. In Thomas Muller and Robert Lewandowski, Bayern have two great forwards who are very capable of getting the goals that they need, but the German team's strengths mostly lie in midfield and defence, where they have the likes of old guards Bastian Schweinsteiger, Xabi Alonso, and Philipp Lahm.

Key Player: Philipp Lahm

Porto vs Liverpool



Porto have made a return to the Champions League after a season in the Europa League, and are clearly determined to get the best out of their opportunity, showing some genuine class to get past Valencia in the First Round. No doubt one of the smaller fries still left in the competition - their only dangerous man comes in the form of lethal Colombian striker Jackson Martinez - but the Portuguese giants, who are used to success from domestic tournaments, could produce miracles at any time and are not to be underestimated.

Key Player: Jackson Martinez

After tasting defeat in the Quarter Finals for two years in a row, Liverpool are desperate to hit greater heights and propel themselves toward their first Champions League title under Brendan Rodgers. Inter Milan experienced their resolution first hand, as Liverpool managed to put six goals past them to advance. In Raheem Sterling, Philippe Coutinho, and James Ward-Prowse, the five-time winners have a splendid midfield force, as well as a powerful striker in Daniel Sturridge to compliment their attacking threat.

Key Player: Raheem Sterling

Dortmund vs Manchester United



It is no doubt going to be a tough ask to break down United, the winners of last season's Champions League, but Dortmund is a team that can do just that. Der BVB have undergone a revival of some sorts this season, storming the Bundesliga, and have taken their form into Europe, knocking out Tottenham on a 3-0 aggregate score. If they want to get any further, captain Mats Hummels will be a crucial factor. Opposing defenders also have to look out for the striking partnership of Max Kruse and Ciro Immobile.

Key Player: Mat Hummels

Struggling initially under new manager Joachim Low, United have returned to their dominant days and are currently on a red hot streak of form. The Red Devils trashed Benfica last round and will be hopeful of repeating their 5-1 feat. This season, veterans like Wayne Rooney and Falcao have struggled constantly with injuries and fitness levels, and as a result the younger players are stepping up, with a prime example being the fantastic Adnan Januzaj, who has been instrumental in his side's rise. Nathan Redmond, a summer signing from Norwich, is also definitely worth a mention.

Key Player: Adnan Januzaj

Chelsea vs Juventus



Last time around, Chelsea made it all the way to the Champions League Final, only to be beaten by Manchester United at that exact point for the second time in their history, the first coming in 2008. This year, they are raring to go again, and showed just that with a 5-1 humbling of Atletico Madrid in the First Round. Oscar and Diego Costa have been nothing but trouble for Chelsea's opponents, but the man that defenders have to keep an eye on is undoubtedly Eden Hazard.

Key Player: Eden Hazard

Fresh from crushing German side Leverkusen and stepping all over their dreams of European glory, Juventus are one of the world's most unstoppable teams and have conquered the Serie A title in Italy for five years in a row now. Unfortunately, they have not brought that dominance into the Champions League and are looking to do just that this season. Carlos Tevez and Christian Eriksen are just two of the Old Lady's many skillful players, as well as World XI left-back Ricardo Rodriguez. But their best player, by far, is French playmaker Paul Pogba.

Key Player: Paul Pogba

April 2017

Liverpool enjoyed a fairly successful month and kicked on despite losing to Arsenal, beating title rivals Chelsea by a particularly large margin of three goals, propelling themselves to first place thanks to the Blues further slipping up by drawing against an impressive Queens Park Rangers side. Meanwhile in Europe, the Merseyside club have also advanced to the Semi Finals for the first time in the Brendan Rodgers era, after beating Porto 6-1 on aggregate.




Premier League

Liverpool 3 - 1 Everton
Coutinho
Sterling
Jagielka


Arsenal 3 - 1 Liverpool
Umtiti


Blackburn 1 - 3 Liverpool
Sterling
Ward-Prowse
Sterling


Liverpool 5 - 2 Chelsea
Markovic
Sterling
Coutinho
Gerrard
Courtois


Liverpool 3 - 1 Aston Villa
Zivkovic
Zivkovic
Sterling




Champions League Quarter Final Leg 1

Porto 1 - 3 Liverpool
Sturridge
Sturridge
Sturridge

Champions League Quarter Final Leg 2

Liverpool 3 - 0 Porto
Coutinho
Henderson
Sturridge

Liverpool April Player of the Month



Nathaniel Clyne deservedly scoops the Player of the Month award after some incredible performances at right-back this April. The 26-year-old has been an important part of the club since his arrival three years ago, and has proved just why with brilliant displays against Blackburn, Everton, and FC Porto.

Manager's Thoughts

It's fantastic to get ourselves into the Semi Finals of the Champions League, now we are just about two steps to taking the title of Europe's best. We are also back to the top of the league, and our fate now lies in our hands with Chelsea a point behind us thanks to their draw against Queens Park Rangers. Unfortunately, injuries to many of our crucial players have completely drained the squad.

Injury Report



Daniel Sturridge - 8 months (damaged cruciate ligaments)
Lazar Markovic - 6 weeks (strained knee ligaments)

Daniel Sturridge and Lazar Markovic will not kick a ball for the remainder of the season, and Sturridge's injury is the most worrying one, with the England striker being out for an estimation of 8 months after damaging his cruciate ligaments against Porto, meaning he will miss even the start of the 2017/18 season. The two join Mario Balotelli and Philippe Coutinho on the list of absentees for next month, meaning that Liverpool will be without four key players in their league title and Champions League run-in.

Champions League Semi Final Draw

English football fans will be particularly excited for the conclusion of the Champions League, with the final four remaining in the competition consisting of three Premier League clubs. Chelsea, Liverpool, and holders Manchester United all remain having taken out their opponents in the Quarter Final. The last remaining hope for non-English supporters is German powerhouse Bayern Munich.

Teams
Bayern Munich
Liverpool
Chelsea
Manchester United

Manchester United vs Liverpool



Dortmund failed to bring their domestic league form to the Champions League with them, as Manchester United ran over the Germans with a total aggregate score of 6-0, with the second leg at Old Trafford being especially chaotic as the Red Devils struck five past Roman Weidenfeller. Liverpool also had a fairly easy Quarter Final round, beating FC Porto on a 6-1 aggregate and ending their ambitious hopes.

United and Liverpool go back a long way and share arguably the most intense rivalry in England. The two sides are tied on 20 league titles each and have some of the country's most dedicated fans.

If United win the Champions League this season, it will be their fifth Champions League title, a number on par with Liverpool's record, and that could serve as an extra incentive.

Chelsea vs Bayern Munich



Before facing any of their fellow Premier League rivals, Chelsea must first get through a huge obstacle in the form of Bayern Munich.

The Blues made quick work of Juventus in the Quarter Final and despite losing 1-2 in the second leg at Juventus Stadium, still managed to advance by winning 4-2 on aggregate. Bayern Munich had a much tougher time, and only managed to knock out Paris Saint-Germain in extra time, via a Yannick Gerhardt penalty.

While Chelsea have been enjoying one of their most successful seasons in recent years and are within touching distance of the Premier League title, it is quite the contrary for Bayern Munich. After Pep Guardiola's extremely bright start to managerial life at the Allianz Arena, where he led Bayern to win the Bundesliga on two consecutive occasions, Die Bayern have started to falter. They finished 3rd in 2015/16 and are looking on course to do the same this year with Dortmund and Schalke both way ahead in the title race.

When these two footballing giants meet, Chelsea will be looking to build on their success, and Bayern know they have to make something happen to ensure their season isn't a complete failure.
Glenn T's avatar Group Glenn T
9 yearsEdited

Europe's Final Beckoning




Liverpool have secured their place in the Champions League Final after beating Manchester United in the Semi Final by a narrow score of 4-3.

Adnan Januzaj, Mateo Kovacic, and Juan Mata struck home for United at Old Trafford, with James Ward-Prowse giving his side hope with a single away goal. And Liverpool managed to make it count in the second leg, as they crushed their northwest rivals 3-0 at Anfield, courtesy of a Richairo Zivkovic brace as well as a late goal from David Alaba.

It is definitely a big achievement for the club, who played against United without a number of major players like Philippe Coutinho, Daniel Sturridge, and Mario Balotelli, all of whom missed out through injury.





"Chuffed to bits," said Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers, when quizzed on how he felt about making the Final. "The players worked their butts off. They deserve this. If I said I never doubted our chances of winning that would be a lie, so I'm very, very pleased that we managed to exceed expectations here.

"Coming into this game, we had so many important guys out. Under these circumstances, to be able to come back from a 3-1 first leg result is massive and even more so against a team like Manchester United."

However, it wasn't as easy as it looked, with Liverpool only managing to level to a 3-3 scoreline in the 81st minute through Zivkovic's second goal. Alaba made it 4-3 in injury time, receiving a fantastic James Ward-Prowse cross before firing the ball into the net from the near post.

To make things even more impressive, Liverpool played 26 minutes with ten men and then another 13 minutes with only nine on the field, with vice-captain Jordan Henderson being shown his second yellow card in the 51st minute, followed by Raheem Sterling signalling his inability to carry on in the 77th minute after getting hacked down by Phil Jones. This left the Reds with another player down, with Rodgers having already used all three substitutes.


Richairo Zivkovic stole the show, scoring two goals to send United on their way

Rodgers moved quickly to allay fears that Sterling would join a long list of injuries. "It was a bad tackle but Raheem is fine and is fit for our next game."

Chelsea also managed to win against Bayern Munich, meaning the Champions League winner this season will be an English club for the second year in a row.

"This speaks volumes about the quality of Premier League football. It's the best league in the world, I feel, and teams like us have really been proving that as a fact.

"But back to the topic of the Champions League, I think we have a very good chance against Chelsea. They are a club that we are familiar with, and we've beaten them before."

The Champions League Final between Liverpool and Chelsea is scheduled to take place next month at Estádio da Luz in Lisbon, Portugal.

Liverpool: Second Place




A 3-2 loss to Swansea at the start of May proved to be a decisive blow for Liverpool as they fell 2 points behind and eventually conceded the Premier League title to Chelsea.

Brendan Rodgers' squad has been wrecked by injury throughout the season. With the conclusion of the season, Daniel Sturridge, Philippe Coutinho, Mario Balotelli, and Lazar Markovic are still injured, and Liverpool fans will be very worried to know that star striker Sturridge, who finished his seasonal tally with 23 goals in 28 league games, is unable to kick a ball until at least December.

But despite finishing at second place, all hope for more silverware this season is not yet lost, as Rodgers has steered the club into the Champions League Final, where they will coincidentally face Chelsea.



Someone who has stayed fit for the entire campaign is Raheem Sterling, and the winger is expected to be the first name on the starting eleven against Chelsea.

Sterling did not miss a single Premier League game, making 38 appearances and finding the net 16 times. Jordan Henderson is rather close behind, with 37 league appearances, and an impressive number of 14 assists.

Going back to the topic of the league table, 3rd-placed Arsenal, who is 15 points behind Liverpool, and 4th-placed Manchester United have managed to snag the remaining Champions League spots. Manchester City and Tottenham will be playing in the Europa League, as well as FA Cup winners Everton.

One of the league's biggest overachievers has to be Aston Villa, who climbed from 17th place last season to finish 7th, thanks to players like Fabian Delph and Matt Lowton.

On the other end, Burnley and Leicester have been swept back into the Championship after just one year in the Premier League, and are accompanied by 18th-placed Watford.

May 2017

A horrendous slip-up against Swansea meant the title went to Chelsea, but Liverpool can also take pride in their comeback against Manchester United to reach the Champions League Final. The end of this month may mark the end of the season, but it's not over yet for the men in red as they contest said Final next month against Chelsea.




Premier League

Swansea 3 - 2 Liverpool
Sterling
Zivkovic


Liverpool 2 - 0 Southampton
Sterling
Henderson


Watford 1 - 2 Liverpool
Balanta
Umtiti




Champions League Semi Final Leg 1

Man Utd 3 - 1 Liverpool
Ward-Prowse

Champions League Semi Final Leg 2

Liverpool 3 - 0 Man Utd
Zivkovic
Zivkovic
Alaba

Liverpool May Player of the Month



James Ward-Prowse was Liverpool's standout player in the first leg of the Champions League Semi Final against Manchester United, scoring an important away goal. He followed this up with a Man of the Match performance in the second leg, assisting two of the three goals. Former club Southampton were not spared either as he stormed their midfield and picked up another Man of the Match gong. Fantastic display from the midfielder this month.

Manager's Thoughts

It's a real pity that we've let slip of the Premier League title, but I suppose it is inevitable with the amount of injuries we've been struggling with recently. But moving on, I'm very excited to have a go at the Champions League, and I'm sure the lads are as well. It's the only trophy that has evaded me thus far throughout my time at Liverpool, and if we get it by winning against Chelsea, who took the title from us, victory will be made all the more sweeter.

Injury Report



Jordan Ibe - 3 weeks (pulled hamstring)
Ruben Garcia - 8 days (gashed leg)
Philippe Coutinho - 2 months (hip injury)

There is really nothing much to say about this month regarding injuries except for Philippe Coutinho, who, unlucky enough, picked up a problem with his hip after just recovering from a groin strain, meaning he is not available to play against Chelsea in the Champions League Final.

Premier League Awards 2016/17

In the annual Premier League awards, Liverpool managed to take both the PFA Player of the Year and the PFA Young Player of the Year, while also having five players named in the PFA Team of the Year starting eleven and another three on the bench.

Golden Glove



David de Gea won the Golden Glove for the second year in a row with 21 clean sheets and only 26 goals conceded from 38 games.

Goal of the Season



Jonjo Shelvey's curling effort from 30 yards away against Blackburn has won him the Goal of the Season award.

Golden Boot



Romelu Lukaku has taken home the Golden Boot with 25 goals in 31 appearances, just ahead of Liverpool's Daniel Sturridge, who has 23 goals, followed by Eden Hazard of Chelsea with 21 goals.

Manager of the Year



Jose Mourinho picks up his third Manager of the Year award and his first since 2006, after guiding Chelsea to the Premier League title with 97 points from 38 games.

FWA Footballer of the Year



Eden Hazard is the recipient of the FWA Footballer of the Year once again, after a fantastic season with Chelsea where he won the league. The Belgian scored 21 goals and created another 13 in 36 appearances.

PFA Player of the Year



Daniel Sturridge's 23 goals and general good form for Liverpool has seen him win the PFA Player of the Year for a second time.

PFA Young Player of the Year



James Ward-Prowse has won the PFA Young Player of the Year after a brilliant season with Liverpool, scoring 8 and assisting 6.

PFA Team of the Year


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