There was one moment of hope, one brief moment when Anfield believed in the impossible.
Soon after Mohamed Salah scored to finally put Liverpool ahead, a murmur began, growing to an anguished howl of raw emotion which swept around this famous old stadium like a scorching wildfire. The noise was deafening, primeval. Suddenly, everything seemed possible. That impossible quadruple felt within reach.
It was, of course, a false alarm. Fake news. Villa hadn’t equalised at the Etihad, City still held their lead so miraculously achieved in those mad, mad six minutes which every Reds single fan in this stadium felt as a blow to the solar plexus.
When it became apparent the title wasn’t on its way to Anfield, it was as though the air had been sucked out of the ground; so painful, so devastating. Yet nothing can detract from the remarkable achievement of this truly great Liverpool team. The spirit they showed here, the resilience and belief even as things slipped from their grasp said so much about them.
Jurgen Klopp’s side have trailed in four of their last five matches, but somehow found a way, even though they have been running on fumes for the past month or more. They found a way here too, even though the pressure of the situation got to them, producing one of their worst performances of the campaign. And yet they one. It was sheer willpower.
Which is why the Kop stood at the end in defiance, as the correct news this time drifted in from Manchester to say Liverpool would not be champions. The fans chanted ‘We Shall Not Be Moved’, and added, with certainty, ‘Just like the team, who’s gonna win the European Cup’. Again.
It was hard at that moment to think of what is still to come in this season for Klopp’s heroes. They have that trip to Paris, that game against Real Madrid, and a chance to immediately erase the memory of this afternoon. And after seeing their defiance, after seeing Liverpool find a way once more, watching them do what they needed, you have to believe they will complete a historic treble next weekend.
They finished the Premier League with 92 points, with the joint-Golden Boot winner in Mo Salah and Golden Gloves winner Alisson. Salah also topped the assists table, with Trent Alexander-Arnold second. No side has ever taken more than 90 points and not won the league championship, in the entire history of the competition. Yet now it has happened to Liverpool twice.
It tells you in any other era they would be Champions and chasing the greatest prize of them all, that quadruple, the dream which finally died on the last day of the season. It was not to be, but there is no argument - this team ranks alongside, and quite probably above, the greatest in Anfield history.
