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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Samuel Meade

Luis Suarez "was sick" after infamous Liverpool collapse which left him in tears

After a defeat to Chelsea at Anfield handed the initiative to Manchester City, collapsing at Crystal Palace all but ended Liverpool's title hopes in 2013-14.

Brendan Rodgers' side, led by the relentless Luis Suarez, had threatened to end a top-flight drought that stood at 24 years. The Uruguayan was banned for the opening five games of the campaign after biting Branislav Ivanovic the season before but made up for last time upon his return.

The striker, who had formed a sensational front three alongside Daniel Sturridge and Raheem Sterling, scored 31 times in 33 outings en route to picking up the PFA Player of the Year award. Liverpool's late surge began in January and saw them win 11 on the bounce.

An underpowered Chelsea side secured a 2-0 win on Merseyside, owing much to the infamous Steven Gerrard slip. A win for City later that day saw them steal a march. Eight days after losing to the Blues Liverpool headed to the capital to face Crystal Palace.

They needed to win and win well to stand any chance of a final day title success. Suarez, as he often did that season, found the net to make it 2-0. Liverpool grabbed a third after 55 minutes and had their sights set on an away day mauling. Quite the opposite would happen.

Damien Delaney would score a deflected goal on 79 minutes to offer the hosts some hope.

Dwight Gayle got another two minutes later and with two minutes of the 90 remaining the Reds were pegged back. Liverpool now needed a miracle on the final day and they knew it. Suarez was in tears at full-time, consoled by captain Steven Gerrard.

He admitted to Jamie Carragher in the Daily Mail : "That hurt. That hurt so much. We were so desperate to win it. I knew we had a unique opportunity and we were playing so well. It was that desire to get more goals against Crystal Palace that let them back into it and killed us.

"I knew when we drew that game the league was lost. Everyone was sick. We spoke about you in the dressing room during that run-in, you know. You had played for 17 years then, 12 months out, we came so close."

Rodgers said on the Uruguayan after the game: "He is a winner, you'll see all the team were disappointed." The draw at Selhurst Park would prove to be Suarez's penultimate game as a Liverpool player with a summer move to Barcelona materialising following three-and-a-half sensational seasons in England.

Luis Suarez was inconsolable at full-time (ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)

It would not end with any Premier League title however as Rodgers conceded their hopes were over following their collapse.

He told the BBC : "For 75 minutes we were outstanding in the game. We scored three goals, created many chances, then we conceded with 12 minutes to go and we've got to see the game out better than that. It is criminal really. We get a point, we should have had three. No good scoring all those goals if you concede them like we have.

"There is no doubt that Man City will go on and win it. We needed to win tonight to have any chance of keeping the pressure on going into the last game and we didn't do that."

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